Self-defense or homicide? Pensacola man begins double murder trial for Attucks Court deaths

Was it self-defense? That's the question an Escambia County jury is tasked with answering as a 43-year-old Pensacola man began his double murder trial Thursday.

Tavarras Thomas is charged with the second-degree murder in the deaths of 24-year-old Cieric Parker and 18-year-old Dominique Bullard after an Attucks Court shooting on June 22, 2022. Despite the prosecutor's claim that Thomas committed murder, defense attorney Todd Early argues his client ought to be acquitted as the shooting was in self-defense.

"There is evidence that Mr. Thomas was defending himself," Early told the jury Thursday. "Mr. Thomas told every person that he saw after this happened, 'I was being shot at. They shot at me and I was defending myself.'"

Early also said bullet holes found on the stoop of the patio where Thomas allegedly fired the shots reinforces his self-defense claim, saying that the responding Pensacola police officer reported the bullet holes were fresh, leading to the assumption Thomas was shot at by someone.

However, prosecutor Nathaniel Sebastian pointed to the fact that neither of the deceased were found with a firearm, as well as statements Thomas made on Facebook, as evidence of murder, rather than self-defense.

"You'll hear from Harry Williams, who was a maintenance guy at Attucks Court," Sebastian told the jury. "He did not see the beginning of the incident, but he was present on scene when he heard gunshots, he looked over and saw Parker go down. He'll tell you he didn't see Parker with a firearm."

Tavarras Thomas sought for shooting: Pensacola police seeking 'armed and dangerous' man wanted in Attucks Court double homicide

Sebastian said one of the investigators will testify about information received from a search warrant on Thomas' Facebook account. The investigator reported finding a post where Thomas apologized for "spraying them all up," according to Sebastian.

A week after the shooting, the Pensacola Police Department reported that Thomas turned himself in for shooting Bullard and Parker. Thomas' trial is scheduled to last two days.

Police report says Tavarras Thomas had ongoing dispute with Cieric Parker

Following Thomas' 2022 arrest, his arrest report was released and detailed a witness statement about past disagreements he had with Parker, also known as "Cain." The witness also told law enforcement that the disagreements were part of an "ongoing dispute."

The witness said she saw Thomas yelling and shooting "a rifle with wood near the end of it," which she believed to be a Draco AK-47 style rifle. The report notes a shell for a Draco style AK-47 was found at the scene.

Sebastian also told the jury Thursday that evidence will show Thomas asked a child nearby if "that was Cain." The child allegedly told him the person Thomas pointed out was Cain.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Self-defense or homicide? Pensacola man begins double murder trial for Attucks Court deaths