ORLANDO — The shooter responsible for killing Adreian Payne — the former Michigan State basketball star who played three seasons with the Timberwolves — told deputies he shot Payne in self-defense, but a detective for the Orange County Sheriff's Office determined he wasn't justified in his actions, court records show.
Lawrence Dority, 29, was arrested Monday on a first-degree murder warrant and taken to the Orange County Jail. He is being held without bail and has pleaded not guilty.
On Tuesday, Harold Thompson, an attorney for Dority, filed a motion asking the court to allow his client to be released on bond. Dority, Thompson wrote, "has substantial ties to the community and... is not a flight risk."
At around 1:30 a.m. Monday, deputies responded to a shooting on the 2500 block of Egret Shores Drive in Econ Landing townhomes, according to an OCSO affidavit.
Deputies found Payne, 31, suffering from a gunshot wound and sitting in a black Chevy sedan, OCSO said. Orange County Fire Rescue transported Payne to AdventHealth Hospital East, but at 2:23 a.m. he was pronounced dead.
Dority, who called 911, remained on scene cooperating with OCSO's investigation.
Deputies learned from a witness whose name was redacted from the affidavit that she and Payne were asked to come to the townhome by Dority's girlfriend, Tatiana Mesa, to act as mediators for the couple, who the witness said argue "often." Payne and the witness drove separately. Payne arrived at Dority's home first.
Dority arrived later in a car driven by his father, Larry Dority. Lawrence Dority exited his father's vehicle, approached the black Chevrolet and began arguing with Payne, Larry Dority said. The elder Dority told authorities he thought his son looked intimidated based on Payne's stature.
