![\"gatien](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gatien-georges-682e0bda8bcbf.png\"\/ "\\"gatien")
<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe defense attorney for a West Palm Beach man accused of shooting at his girlfriend last year requested that criminal charges to be dismissed.According to court documents in Palm Beach County, Gatien Georges\u2019 defense attorney filed a motion to dismiss criminal charges on Oct. 21, 2025, related to an attempted first-degree murder, arguing Georges was defending himself under Florida\u2019s \u201cstand your ground\u201d law.The stand your ground law allows a person not to retreat and to use force if the person believes that it is needed, \u201cto prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.”Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsIf the requirement for stand your ground is met, the person is immune from criminal prosecution. Georges\u2019 defense argues that during a May 20, 2025, verbal dispute with his long-term girlfriend at a restaurant, Georges left the restaurant and went home to de-escalate the situation.The defense says when Georges got home, he decided to pack up the victim\u2019s belongings so she could pick them up without entering his home.When the victim arrived, Georges said he handed the victim her items peacefully, but the victim grabbed Georges\u2019 Ring doorbell camera from the wall.The defense argues that the victim taking the doorbell camera was a forcible felony under Florida law.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here. The defense notes that Georges followed the victim to retrieve the camera. At some point, the defense said the victim, \u201cbecame aggressive and threatened him, shouting that she would kill him.\u201dThe defense said a witness told police that they heard the victim tell Georges, \u201cI dare you to shoot me.\u201dThe defense said the confrontation caused Georges to fear for his safety, as they claimed the victim \u201ctried to run him over with a car several years earlier.\u201dThe defense believes that, given the totality of the circumstances, Georges was, \u201cin reasonable and imminent fear for his life.\u201dThe defense acknowledged that Georges discharged his firearm at the victim, \u201cto stop the deadly threat posed by .\u201dThe defense argued that the situation was self-defense because the victim was the aggressor.A motion hearing in court scheduled for Tuesday was postponed to March 2 after the state attorney\u2019s office requested to continue the case, which was granted by the court on Monday. According to a Jan. 30 court filing by the state attorney\u2019s office, the victim told the state through her attorney her desire not to participate with the prosecution of Georges.The victim\u2019s attorney told the state she will not continue her involvement in the case unless she is personally served with a subpoena.The state\u2019s previous efforts to serve the victim a subpoena to appear at Tuesday\u2019s stand your ground hearing were unsuccessful. In one instance, the victim\u2019s attorney told the state that she provided the state an address to the home of a relative where she accepts mail but does not live at the home.The victim\u2019s attorney told the state that the victim lives in the Tampa Bay area, and the victim’s address was unknown.The state attorney\u2019s office said it was working on getting the victim\u2019s address to serve her to appear in court.If the victim is not located by the state attorney\u2019s office within 30 days, the state attorney\u2019s office said it will seek a writ of bodily attachment or a request to have law enforcement find her, take her into custody and bring her to court.The state attorney\u2019s office stressed the importance of the victim appearing at the stand your ground hearing because the victim, \u201cis the only one who can testify to the exact nature of her contact with the defendant prior to him retrieving a firearm from his apartment and shooting at her after she got in her car.\u201d A West Palm Beach Police Department report of the incident notes after the encounter at Georges\u2019 residence, the victim went back to her vehicle.At some point, the report said when the victim entered her car, Georges was pointing a gun at her.Moments later, Georges fired the weapon, then the victim drove away. When the victim reached the entrance of the apartment complex, she realized she was struck by the gunshot and called police.Georges, 54, is facing attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and criminal mischief charges.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The defense attorney for a West Palm Beach man accused of shooting at his girlfriend last year requested that criminal charges to be dismissed.<\/p>\n
According to court documents in Palm Beach County, Gatien Georges\u2019 defense attorney filed a motion to dismiss criminal charges on Oct. 21, 2025, related to an attempted first-degree murder, arguing Georges was defending himself under Florida\u2019s \u201cstand your ground\u201d law.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tPalm Beach County Sheriff’s Office\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGatien Georges<\/p>\n
The stand your ground law allows a person not to retreat and to use force if the person believes that it is needed, \u201cto prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.”<\/p>\n