Fight Back News is circulating the following statement from the family of DJ Broadus

“The family is pleased that Gardner Kent Fraser was arrested for tampering with evidence in connection to DJ’s murder even though this arrest didn’t include all the possible charges we were seeking. If Florida’s state legislators continue to uphold Stand Your Ground laws, dangerous killers, like Gardner Kent Fraser, will hide behind them, and families and victims, like ours, will never receive complete justice.

In light of this arrest, today (May 15, 2019) will mark 465 days since DJ was brutally executed at Southern State Nursery in Macclenny, and the beginning of a long journey to justice. The family – still resilient in our cause – is indebted to the many advocacy and community organizations, family friends and our brave Baker County allies for all their help in keeping the#Justice4DJBroadus fight alive.”

Broadus was found murdered with three bullet wounds to his head on property that belongs to the Fraser family, a very powerful family in the MacClenny, Florida, a few miles west of Jacksonville. Gardner Fraser, along with one other undisclosed person, were the only people on the property at the time of the murder and made the 911 call. Gardner Fraser, who was well known in MacClenny for his violent behavior, was terminated from North East Florida Hospital for breaking a patient’s jaw. Gardner Fraser is the son of a former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Deputy, who was fired for shooting an unarmed Black man, and then hired by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, where he eventually retired. Gardner Fraser is also the grandson of Edwin Fraser, who the MacClenny hospital is named after. Edwin Fraser served in the Florida State Senate and the Florida House of Representatives for several years between 1937 and 1963.

Last April, the Broadus family, along with community organizations like the Jacksonville Community Action Committee and African American residents of Baker County marched in the streets of Baker County demanding justice and murder charges against Gardner Fraser. As of now, he has only been charged with tampering with evidence. The arrest report showed that Gardner Fraser and Dominic Broadus had known each other previously. The case last year was removed by then-Florida Governor Rick Scott, away from State Attorney Bill Cervone in Baker County, and placed in the hands of Jacksonville State Attorney Melissa Nelson, who now has the power to file murder charges against GardnerFraser.

Be sure to follow the campaign on Facebook at “Justice4DjBroadus” for more updates on the next steps in the fight for justice.

#JacksonvilleFL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #DJBroadus

MacClenny, FL — On March 1, the family of DJ Broadus II, an African American man brutally murdered in north Florida, called for and rallied at a second town hall meeting here, at Emmanuel Church of God in Christ. About 80 people showed up to a town hall meeting which was led by Dominic Broadus Sr., the father of the slain Dominic “DJ” Broadus II. Participants included Michael Sampson II and Joshua Parks. Sampson and Parks are members of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, a local Black-led organization that has been helping lead the effort to get #Justice4DJ, along with other organizations such as the Dream Defenders, Color of Change, and the Black community in MacClenny. MacClenny is on the western outskirts of Jacksonville.

Broadus II was found murdered execution-style with three bullet wounds to his head on property that belongs to the Fraser family, a very powerful family in the MacClenny. Gardner Frazier, along with one other undisclosed person, were the only people on the property at the time of the murder and made the 911 call. Gardner Fraser, who was well known in MacClenny for his violent behavior, was terminated from North East Florida Hospital for breaking a patient’s jaw. Gardner Fraser is the son of a former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Deputy who was fired for shooting an unarmed Black man, and then hired by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, where he eventually retired. Gardner Fraser is also the grandson of Edwin Fraser, who the MacClenny hospital is named after. Edwin Fraser served in the Florida State Senate and the Florida House of Representatives for several years between 1937 and 1963.

At the townhall, community members chanted “Justice for DJ,” as well as “What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now!” Community members talked about their own experiences with the racist criminal justice system in the rural county with a population of just around 27,000.

The family and community had four demands directed toward the Baker County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and State Attorney Bill Cervone of the 8th Judicial Circuit:

1. Instruct the BCSO to make an immediate arrest and charge Gardner K. Fraser for the execution of Dominic Jerome Broadus II.

2. Release the State Medical Examiner's complete autopsy report to the family's independent pathologist so they can complete their analysis.

3. Explain why Gardner K. Fraser has been allowed to roam free for over three weeks without charges for DJ's murder.

4. Petition the FBI’s Public Corruption division to conduct an immediate investigation into Baker County Sheriff’s Office as it relates to procurement of evidence and nepotism within this law enforcement agency.

On March 5, there will be a call-in day to State Attorney Bill Cervone of the 8th Judicial Circuit (at 904-259-3137) to demand an arrest for DJ’s murder and for the FBI to investigate BCSO for public corruption.

The community will continue to rally and demand justice until these demands are met and justice is served for Dominic Jerome Broadus II.

#MacClennyFL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #AntiRacism #Florida #Injustice #DJBroadus