JOHN DEROSSETT

VIERA, Fla. – Citing the Stand Your Ground law, the Fifth District Court of Appeals dismissed the longstanding charges against a Port St. John man accused of shooting a Brevard County Sheriff’s deputy during a botched arrest in front of his home in 2015. The decision, issued Wednesday, ends the prosecution of John DeRossett, 60, on the attempted premeditated first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer while discharging a firearm, News 6 partner Florida Today reported. DeRossett spent nearly five years at the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes as he awaited a trial. Florida Today reached out to Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey for comment, but no statements have been released. Prosecutors and Brevard County sheriff’s investigators said DeRossett opened fire at deputies who were arresting his niece on a prostitution charge.

The decision issued Wednesday ends the prosecution of John DeRossett, 60, on the attempted premeditated first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer while discharging a firearm. DeRossett spent nearly five years at the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes as he awaited a trial. FLORIDA TODAY reached out to Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey for comment but no statements have been released. Prosecutors and Brevard County Sheriffs investigators said DeRossett opened fire at deputies conducting the arrest of his niece on a prostitution charge. This story originally published to theledger.com, and was shared to other Florida newspapers in the USA TODAY Network - Florida.

The decision issued Wednesday ends the prosecution of John DeRossett, 60, on the attempted premeditated first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer while discharging a firearm. DeRossett spent nearly five years at the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes as he awaited a trial. FLORIDA TODAY reached out to Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey for comment but no statements have been released. Prosecutors and Brevard County Sheriffs investigators said DeRossett opened fire at deputies conducting the arrest of his niece on a prostitution charge. This story originally published to theledger.com, and was shared to other Florida newspapers in the USA TODAY Network - Florida.

The decision issued Wednesday ends the prosecution of John DeRossett, 60, on the attempted premeditated first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer while discharging a firearm. DeRossett spent nearly five years at the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes as he awaited a trial. FLORIDA TODAY reached out to Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey for comment but no statements have been released. Prosecutors and Brevard County Sheriffs investigators said DeRossett opened fire at deputies conducting the arrest of his niece on a prostitution charge. This story originally published to theledger.com, and was shared to other Florida newspapers in the USA TODAY Network - Florida.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A Brevard County man accused of shooting at deputies will get another chance to prove he was defending himself under Florida's stand your ground law after an appeals court overturned a Brevard judge's decision to dismiss his claim. John DeRossett has been in custody since the shootout with Brevard County Sheriff's Office deputies at his Port St. John home in August 2015. He told investigators he had no idea the men pulling his niece, Mary DeRossett Ellis, from his home were deputies. His lawyers argued a motion in August to dismiss charges against the 68-year-old under the controversial "stand your ground" law. On Thursday, the Fifth District Court of Appeals overturned that decision and ruled that DeRossett is entitled to a new 'stand your ground" evidentiary hearing.