(CNN) - A Florida man accused of killing an iguana last year wanted a charge of animal cruelty dismissed on the basis of the state's "stand your ground" law. A judge has denied his motion.
PJ Nilaja Patterson was arrested after allegedly beating, dragging and kicking a 3-foot iguana in Lake Worth, Florida, on September 2, 2020, according to a probable cause affidavit. The animal died as Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control was transporting it to be euthanized, according to the affidavit.
Patterson's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the charge, but Judge Jeffrey Gillen denied the motion on Friday.
"In this case, Patterson acted in a reasonable manner under all the circumstances because the wild iguana was first to engage with physical violence, during the encounter," his attorneys wrote.
Florida's stand your ground law states deadly force can be used if a person "reasonably believes that using or threatening to use such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm." In this case, Patterson's attorneys said the animal was the first to engage in aggression, so Patterson had a right to defend himself.
