MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Action News 5 is taking a closer look at the shocking video that shows the moments leading up to the shooting death of Pastor Ricky Floyd–more specifically, the warning the shooter gave before that fatal shot.
Samantha Marion, 42, is facing a voluntary manslaughter charge.
Marion recorded cell phone footage outside Momma’s Bar on Kentucky Street around 1:15 a.m. on March 12, which her attorney released to the public.
The cell phone footage shows well-known Frayser Pastor Ricky Floyd coming towards her and a brief confrontation before the footage ends.
We showed the footage to Bennie Cobb, who has spent several decades in law enforcement.
He’s a former Shelby County Sheriff’s Captain and now owns Eagle Security and Training in Memphis.
Cobb is a gun safety instructor who teaches de-escalation and self-defense classes.
Most of his clients are women.
From a self-defense perspective, we wanted his thoughts on what happens about 13 seconds into the short cellphone footage release by Marion’s attorney.
In the cellphone footage you can hear Marion say, “I’m backing up 3 times. Now when I do that you know!”
“It’s clear she’s giving a warning,” said Cobb.
Action News 5 asked Cobb if a verbal warning is something he would teach his students to do if they felt like they were in danger.
“You don’t have to, you don’t have to give a warning or a verbal warning,” said Cobb.
“In the state of Tennessee, you have a right and a duty to defend yourself from serious injury or death, even if the person doesn’t have a gun, or a knife, or a stick or a brick,” said Cobb.
“It could be size; the person could be bigger or could be trained to a level or the victim could just be afraid.”
According to the official police affidavit, two witnesses told investigators they along with Marion got into an argument with Floyd inside the bar.
Marion’s attorney says it was about religion.
The witnesses say Floyd left the bar, and that’s when Marion and the witnesses went outside.
Floyd returned and became “irate and aggressive towards all three of them” by throwing Marion’s cell phone to the ground and a beer can.
Just as Floyd is leaving for a second time, Marion then began recording Floyd’s vehicle.
The short 25 second video ends with dispatch explaining what happens next.
“They are referring to a shooting 855 Kentucky street @ Momma’s bar and kitchen and it was involving a female shooting a male who was constantly approaching her in an aggressive manner,” said a dispatcher.
When investigators arrived – the affidavit shows they “observed one cartridge casing on the scene and what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the front of Floyd.”
Floyd was pronounced dead at 1:24 a.m.
Marion was charged with voluntary manslaughter.
Action News 5 asked Cobb if he would have advised Marion to fire a warning shot instead of shooting to kill Floyd.
“A warning shot is against the law,” said Cobb.
“For the people that says shoot him in the leg or shoot him in the arm, that’s impossible, that’s something impossible for people to do under stress,” said Cobb.
Marion’s attorneys say the cell phone footage makes their case open and shut, but Cobb says that footage is only one side of the story.
According to MPD’s report, there was other video.
Action News 5 spotted at least 9 other security cameras on the property of Momma’s Bar and across the street which appears to give a bird’s eye view of Kentucky Street.
Though not visible on the cell phone footage, the affidavit says surveillance video shows a witness getting between Marion and Floyd, “creating some distance.”
The affidavit went on to say video then shows Marion “walk towards Floyd, who begins walking backwards, away from her.”
As he backs away, he is seen falling to the ground and does not get back up.
“There is most likely something the police department of attorney general has seen that we have not seen yet because she was arrested and charged,” said Cobb.
The case and video have shaken a community.
A well-known and beloved pastor seen in a manner his friends say was outside of his character.
“This is difficult. It’s difficult to have this conversation because emotions are running high,” said Cobb.
“I’ve talked to many people that knew him, him and I have done business together,” said Cobb.
Marion has since posted her $100,000 bond.
Marion is due back in court June 5, 2025.
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