A man accused of a deadly hate crime asked a judge to set him free early this month. On Thursday, a judge denied his ask. Gerald Radford testified in court that he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed John "Walt" Lay in February at the West Dog Park. Defense attorneys claim their evidence shows Lay was the aggressor and not Radford. "I don't know if I told him to stop or not but he wasn't stopping," Radford testified when he stated Lay physically attacked him. For months, Lay's friends said Radford targeted him for being gay. Radford was seeking immunity through Florida's stand-your-ground law. Defense attorneys say evidence shows Lay was the aggressor and not Radford. Pictures and videos of Radford moments after the shooting and after he called 911 were shown in court. Radford testified Lay repeatedly hit him in the face multiple times the morning of the shooting. While on top of him during the alleged attack, Radford said he reached for his gun and stated he just wanted it to stop. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/crime/tampa-dog-park-shooting-hillsborough-sheriff-hate-crime-enhancement/67-5faa6363-de03-4f00-96ee-dccc7f875f67