The State Attorney’s Office for Brevard County has charged a man with second-degree murder for a May 11 shooting death in downtown Melbourne.
STEPHAN DIEUJUSTE, 24, was arrested by Melbourne Police and initially charged with manslaughter for shooting Nathanial Jennings, 19, on Vernon Place just south of East New Haven Avenue. Dieujuste remained at the shooting scene and told police he pulled his Glock handgun and fired at Jennings in self-defense after Jennings tried to start a fistfight with him. Jennings was unarmed.
Prosecutors have since reviewed security-camera video from a nearby business that clearly captured the confrontation, which had not come to blows. The video shows Dieujuste when he pulled his weapon, stepped back, and fired eight times, including as Jennings was fleeing down the sidewalk to get away. Jennings later died of his wounds at Holmes Regional Medical Center.
Dieujuste, who is free on bond, will have a court date set. The State Attorney’s Office will request that his bond be revoked and reset to a higher amount commensurate with the new charge, which is punishable by life in prison.
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