Former NFL football player Travis Rudolph has been found not guilty on all charges, including the most serious charge of first-degree murder. Rudolph found himself in court fighting for his freedom after shooting two people, killing one, in what he claimed was a case of self-defense. Many observers of the court process thought that Rudolph did not meet the legal standard of protection under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. If the jury agreed with the sentiments of some people from the general public, then he would probably be facing serious prison time. The incident in question happened back in 2021.
Rudolph and his former girlfriend got into a fight as they arrived at his home. She appears to have struck him repeatedly with her hands after he called her a derogatory term. The fight stemmed from allegations of Rudolph cheating on his girlfriend with other women. A key wrinkle to the story is that his girlfriend was married to someone else at the time. Shortly after the fight, his girlfriend texted her brother about coming to Rudolph’s home to harm him. Sure enough, the brother showed up with three of his friends. According to the brother’s own testimony, they did come to fight Rudolph… but they left under entirely different circumstances.
Four men showed up at Travis Rudolph’s home after the fight with his girlfriend. All of this is being recorded on a Ring Camera at the front door of Travis’s home. One thing leads to another and the men in question wind up fighting with Travis Rudolph and his brother, and possibly other people. Rudolph realizes that his brother was at a disadvantage in the fight and then goes back into his home to retrieve his rifle. He runs out of the house and slips on the ground with the rifle in his hand as the four men who came to “fight” him begin to retreat. The four men pile into a vehicle and speed off. Travis gives chase and fires over 30 rounds from his rifle at their vehicle. He shot two men, killing one of them.
Travis Rudolph was arrested not for defending himself, but for the pursuit of the car after they fled. “Stand Your Ground” can’t truly be invoked here because he chased after them. However, he was confronted first by these men without provocation them beforehand. The jury most likely, and rightfully so, felt sympathy for Mr. Rudolph and gave him a more than favorable decision.
SOURCES:
Travis Rudolph trial update: Football player not guilty on all counts
Former FSU star Travis Rudolph found not guilty on all counts
Jury finds former NFL player Travis Rudolph not guilty in murder trial | KOMO
