Judge dismisses murder charge in fatal shooting of Tampa DJ under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law

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Published August 26, 2026 1:14 PM EDT

The Brief

    • A judge dismissed the murder charge against Joel Moreno Cobo in the road rage shooting of Tampa DJ Dedrick Sykes.
    • Moreno Cobo claimed self-defense under Florida law after being confronted at an Ybor City intersection.
    • State prosecutors failed to prove Moreno Cobo was not entitled to relief under the Stand Your Ground statute.

TAMPA, Fla. - A Hillsborough County judge granted a motion to dismiss a second-degree murder charge against Joel Moreno Cobo on Wednesday morning. 

Tampa judge dismisses murder charge

What we know:

Moreno Cobo was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Dedrick Sykes, a local artist known as "DJ Shy Guy". 

Dedrick Sykes was shot and killed at an Ybor City intersection in 2025. 

The fatal confrontation happened at the intersection of E. 5th Avenue and 22nd Street N. in Ybor City. Moreno Cobo told detectives he flashed his lights at a vehicle in traffic, which led to an exchange of profanities between him and Sykes. Investigators said Sykes stopped his Jeep in the roadway, got out and walked toward Moreno Cobo’s car. 

Surveillance footage showed roughly four seconds between Sykes stopping his vehicle and witnesses reacting to gunfire. Moreno Cobo testified that Sykes got within inches of his window, hiding his hands from view. Fearing for his life and the safety of his girlfriend and young child inside the car, Moreno Cobo said he grabbed his gun and fired two shots.

While Moreno Cobo admitted he did not see a weapon on Sykes, his defense argued that individuals do not need to spot a gun before lawfully defending themselves. A woman inside Sykes' car testified that Sykes was unarmed and did not own any weapons. 

Prosecutors argued that the evidence failed to support self-defense, pointing out that Sykes made no explicit verbal threats of imminent death or severe harm. Detectives also noted an earlier incident where Moreno Cobo pistol-whipped a man in Ybor City, but his defense maintained his actions during the traffic encounter were legally reasonable. 

The judge ultimately ruled the state failed to prove Moreno Cobo was not entitled to relief under Florida’s Stand Your Ground statute. 

Defense and prosecution argue self-defense

What we don't know:

Officials have not confirmed whether state prosecutors plan to appeal the judge's ruling. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Hillsborough County court records, as well as testimony from Detective Heather Donahue and prosecutor Scott Harmon during court proceedings and previous FOX 13 News reports. 

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