Man charged in Gastonia for fatally shooting off-duty Florida corrections officer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — Demaurea Grant, 29, was arrested in Gastonia for shooting and killing an off-duty corrections officer in Florida, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Grant allegedly shot and killed JSO Corrections Officer Brad McNew who was off-duty at the time of the shooting on Saturday, Oct. 12. McNew was trying to help a woman who Grant was assaulting before Grant shot and killed him.

READ MORE: ‘Armed and dangerous’ driver with NC plate on the run after allegedly fatally shooting off-duty corrections officer in Florida

During a press conference on Sunday morning, authorities said Grant was charged with second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in public.

Grant was found at 212 North Highland Street in Gastonia around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday. Officials said Grant was arrested with a woman who was also arrested on an unrelated warrant for a crime in North Carolina. Detectives are still interviewing this woman about the incident.

Documents show Grant has a criminal history in North Carolina involving an assault on government officials multiple times in 2013 and 2019. Records also show he was charged with first-degree murder in Monroe in 2018.

Watch JSO’s press conference regarding Grant’s arrest here:

“Today, with the prospect of accountability, our collective horror turns to collective hope,” Sheriff T.K. Waters said.

Officials say this is still an active investigation.

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