A judge ruled the "stand your ground" defense will not be used in the case of a man accused of killing an iguana.
Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control charged PJ Nilaja Patterson with animal cruelty in the September incident that was captured on surveillance video in Lake Worth Beach.
The 43-year old, who is 6' 3" and 165 pounds, can be seen dragging the 3-foot iguana by its tail before stepping on it.
According to the police report, the reptile appeared to bite Patterson, who then kicked it and threw it around several times. The video shows the iguana hiding under a vehicle, where the man grabbed it and threw it around some more.
The iguana eventually died from its injuries, including a fractured liver and pelvis.
Investigators claim that when the animal attempted to defend itself, Patterson went into a "violent rage" and chose to "stalk the helpless iguana and deliver vicious strikes to the animal."
This appears to be the first ever case in Florida of someone attempting to use "stand your ground" as defense for killing an iguana.
But with the judge ruling that Patterson isn't entitled to "stand your ground" immunity, he'll face up to five years in prison if convicted on the two animal cruelty charges.
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Photo: CBS 12