WEST PALM BEACH — Beginning Friday, jurors will decide whether former FSU football player Travis Rudolph feared for his life when he shot to death a man prosecutors say was fleeing from him.

Rudolph told investigators he believed he had no choice but to shoot Sebastien Jean-Jacques, who appeared at his doorstep in Lake Park on April 7, 2021, with three other men to confront Rudolph about allegedly mistreating his girlfriend.

The dispute turned violent, Rudolph said, and he grabbed a semi-automatic rifle. Prosecutors said the men had already begun to flee by the time Rudolph fired 39 rounds in their direction.

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The Palm Bach County Sheriff's Office and the State Attorney's Office charged Rudolph with first-degree murder. Circuit Judge Jeffrey Gillen rejected Rudolph's request to dismiss the case under Florida's "stand your ground" law, which permits the use of deadly force to protect against imminent danger, last year.

Additional evidence, made available on the eve of trial delayed its start date to May 19 from Feb. 24.

Rudolph, now 27, formerly a standout receiver at Cardinal Newman High School and Florida State University, faces one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder.

Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Murder trial for FSU football star Travis Rudolph to begin