Following an extensive review, our office has concluded that we cannot refute the assertion by a male victim that he acted in lawful self-defense in the use of deadly force against 27-year-old Emanuel Dixon on February 3, 2022. Our review determined that the evidence is consistent with the victim’s assertion that Dixon was in the home of the victim, violently confronting both the victim and the victim’s mother. Based on witness statements, it appears that Dixon had just physically pushed the victim into a mirror and was in the process of striking the mother of the victim in the head when the victim fired the one gunshot that struck and killed Dixon.
In reaching this conclusion, our office conducted an exhaustive review of all available evidence and applicable legal standards. These steps included but were not limited to:
- reviewing interviews of witnesses
- examining physical evidence
- reviewing photographic evidence
- reviewing 911 calls, radio communications, and relevant audio
- analyzing autopsy results
- applying the applicable laws
The Tampa Police Department conducted the investigation. Investigators found that on the night of February 3, 2022, Emanuel Dixon was at the home of Ashley Ellis, where she lived with her children. A 911 call was received from the home and responding Tampa Police officers found Dixon on the ground in the bedroom, bleeding from a single gunshot wound. Dixon was taken to Tampa General Hospital where he died.
According to witnesses, Dixon had been across the street, speaking with a neighbor, when Ellis walked outside and fired several shots into Dixon’s car. The car was not occupied at the time. (Ellis was eventually charged with crimes stemming from shooting the car.) After shooting the car, Ellis went back inside her home. Dixon followed her inside. Dixon’s sister was also in the home and began arguing with Ellis over shooting Dixon’s car. The argument escalated and moved into the master bedroom.
According to the victim, who voluntarily consented to an interview, he and a friend were also inside the home when the victim heard the arguing. He then saw his mother and Dixon’s sister fighting in the bedroom. When the victim went in to break up the, Dixon turned and pushed him into a mirror, then into the wall, and poked him in the eye. According to other witnesses, Dixon told the victim and the victim’s friend that he would kill them if they tried to enter the room. The victim then saw Dixon and Dixon’s sister both punch his mother in the head.
The victim saw the gun on the floor and picked it up. The victim then saw Dixon start to turn back toward him, and he fired the gun one time—fearing for his safety and the safety of his mother. The victim then left the home and threw the gun into an area of heavy brush. The gun was never located. The victim eventually returned to the scene and cooperated, giving several statements to the police.
The victim’s friend corroborated the victim’s account. The victim’s mother said she was getting hit in the head by both Dixon and Dixon’s sister when she heard the gunshot, but did not see who shot Dixon. Dixon’s sister admitted she was in a confrontation with Ellis, and—at the time of the shooting—Dixon was standing behind her in the doorway and she did not see the shooting. Ellis’s daughter was also in the room, standing between her mother and Dixon’s sister. She heard Dixon tell the victim and the victim’s friend that he would kill them if they came into the room. She also saw Dixon push the victim into a mirror and punch her mother.
Photos of the scene show blood on the floor of the master bedroom. Both a shell casing as well as a projectile were recovered on the floor of the master bedroom.
Ellis’s phone was recovered at the scene and a text message was located between her and the victim. In it, the victim apologizes for shooting Dixon, indicating he was just trying to protect her.
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined the cause of death to be a single gunshot wound to the left lateral area/back with perforation of the abdominal aorta and bowel.
The name of the victim is being withheld due to Marsy’s Law.
After our thorough analysis, we have determined that the facts and evidence cannot refute the statements by the victim that he reasonably believed he was in fear of imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or Ashley Ellis when he used deadly force. These findings satisfy Florida Statute 776.012. Accordingly, under Florida law, there is no legal basis for criminal charges against the victim.
An initial release of materials related to this case is available at this link. These items illustrate the crime scene and key details of the case. Further documents related to the case, including additional photos, reports, and interview transcripts, are available to any member of the public subject to Florida’s Public Records Law; find details on making a request on the State Attorney’s Office Public Records page.