SHELF HELP

Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.

What: “Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius” by Nick Hornby

Key West resident Lloyd Preston Brewer, 57, faces charges of felony homicide and a felony weapons offense.

MONROE COUNTY

Hughes is a well-known Key West High School athlete who played football and ran track before graduating in 2020. Brewer owns the building that houses Conch Town Bar, where Hughes and friends were reportedly drinking.

Prosecutors with the State Attorney’s Office told the Keys Weekly that they have reviewed video evidence from the bar’s security cameras. The video shows a drunk and shirtless Hughes outside the bar, urinating on the side of the building.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE/ Contributed

The video shows Brewer arriving in his car and “exchanging words” with Hughes, said Joe Mansfield, chief assistant state attorney.

“The shirtless victim was clearly intoxicated and urinating on the wall when the suspect approaches,” Mansfield said. “I suspect the shooter was annoyed by what he saw, confronted the kid, then pulls a gun and shoots him in the stomach, which proved fatal. There are no weapons on or near the victim, nor is the victim seen reaching for anything. Now, I’d bet my 401(k) that the suspect will file a self-defense, Stand Your Ground defense, but the allegation that he was justified in using deadly force is not substantiated by the video evidence in this case.”

“In its simplest form,” says the website of Hussein & Webber, a Florida law firm, “Florida’s Stand Your Ground law provides that a person is justified in the use of deadly force and has no duty to retreat if either:

“The person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself, or another, or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or

“The person acts under and according to the circumstances set forth in Section 776.013 (presuming a reasonable belief as to the necessity of force in the context of ‘dwellings,’ residences, or vehicles).”

Eyewitness statements were also taken from Hughes’ two friends at the bar that night, Mansfield said, acknowledging that a defense attorney will point out their potential bias toward the victim.

Mansfield obtained a search warrant early Monday morning for a blood sample to test Brewer’s toxicology. Those results are pending, he said.

Police received a 911 call at 12:28 a.m. Monday, Feb. 13.

“Upon arrival, police encountered a subject who was lying in the parking lot and had been shot,” states the police press release. “While the subject was being treated for his injuries, officers immediately detained the suspect who was still on scene and recovered the gun. The victim was transported to the Lower Keys Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased shortly after. The scene was secured for several hours while KWPD detectives responded and took over the investigation. The suspect was transported to the police station, interviewed and arrested; charges are pending as the investigation is still ongoing.”

Police officers left the crime scene at 10:15 a.m. Monday, and no crime scene tape remained.

Why: Charles Dickens was a white guy who lived in 19th century England and was famous for writing novels. Prince was a black guy who lived in 20th and 21st century America and was famous for making music. On the face of it, they would appear to have little in common. Yet novelist and screenwriter Nick Hornby has written a lovely extended essay about how both were incredible examples of creativity and productivity. They did have a few things in common – both were raised in poverty, with family trauma shaping their lives and art. Both produced their greatest works as relatively young men. And sadly, both died at 58. This book isn’t just compare-and-contrast; it’s a readable profile of each man as an artist, with a dash of personal reflection from Hornby thrown in. And, at 159 (narrow) pages, it’s a quick read – the nonfiction equivalent of a novella. Thank you, Nick Hornby, for recognizing not every work of nonfiction has to double as a doorstop.

Where: This is available as a print book from the Monroe County Library system.

How: You can request books online by logging in to www.keyslibraries.org and get ebooks and eaudiobooks 24/7 at www.estuff. keyslibraries.org. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@keyslibraries.org

Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager, Monroe County Public Library