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A man who pulled a .45 caliber handgun and shot and killed another man with whom he had been arguing inside a restaurant acted in self defense, police said.

Eric Primus, 49, of Tamarac, was shot at 1:19 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of the Pollo Tropical, 2390 S. University Drive near Nova Drive and the busy Tower Shops, police said.

Primus was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, where he died, police said.

The shooter was identified as Cardiff Lindo, 33.

Based on our investigation we believe that Lindo acted in self defense under Florida's Stand Your Ground statute, Davie Police Capt. Dale Engle said in a statement Sunday morning.

Although, Engle added, our investigation continues.

Police said Lindo fired a handgun which he was licensed to carry. Primus was not armed, police said.

Lindo and Primus apparently did not know each other when they began arguing inside the restaurant, according to police. The subject of the argument or how it started was unclear, police said.

Primus and a co-worker entered Pollo Tropical on their lunch break. Primus did not sit with his co-worker, who sat near the window to watch the tools in their work truck, Engle said.

After Primus and Lindo got into an argument, Primus and his co-worker, both employed by Davie-based Jorgensen Contract Services, left the restaurant and sat in their truck in the parking lot, police said.

Lindo remained inside the restaurant for a short period of time and then walked outside toward his vehicle, Engle said.

When Primus saw Lindo, he got out of the truck, confronted Lindo and the two men tussled, Engle said. During that fight, Lindo pulled a handgun and fired several rounds, police said.

Primus was struck once, police said.

After Primus was shot, he managed to get back into the truck and his co-worker drove to a nearby Chevron gas station. There Primus co-worker, who has not been identified by police, yelled for help.

Primus was bleeding profusely as he lay slumped in the passengers seat, according to gas station attendant Simo Boukhar.

Engle said he was heading to the scene at the restaurant when he was flagged down by customers at the gas station.

Not knowing exactly what was happening, Engle said he drew his weapon out as he got out of his car at the Chevron station. But he quickly holstered his gun when he saw Primus face down and bleeding in the trucks passenger seat, he said.

A woman was attempting to render him aide, said Engle. I yelled for others to give me a hand. He was a big man.

Engle, with the help of the woman and other bystanders, got Primus out of the truck and on the ground where they put him on his back, covered a bleeding chest wound with a piece of plastic and applied pressure.

He was shot in the chest, and I feared that he had a collapsed lung, said Engle.

After several minutes a period that Engle said seemed like an eternity paramedics arrived.

Lindo remained at the restaurant and called 911, Engle said.

Lindo surrendered to police and was detained for questioning, Engle said. He was not charged.

Engle said that Lindo cooperated with investigators and the explanation of events provided by Lindo was [corroborated] by witnesses.

Under Floridas 2005 Stand Your Ground, a person is justified in using deadly force in self-defense and has no duty to retreat if the person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.

The law, considered a model used by other states, received national attention after the 2012 killing in Sanford of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. A jury that had been instructed on Floridas law acquitted Zimmerman of second-degree murder.

A new measure that has passed both houses of the Republican-dominated Florida legislature would shift the burden of proof from defendants to prosecutors when the Stand Your Ground law is invoked to avoid trial.

Proponents say the law would protect the constitutional rights of those under investigation after a violent encounter.

Opponents say the measures will embolden gun owners to shoot first.

Staff researcher Barbara Hijek contributed to this report.

mwclary@sunsentinel.com

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Gunman in fatal Pollo Tropical shooting fired in self-defense, say police - Sun Sentinel