Prosecutors seeking death penalty against man accused of killing off-duty corrections officer at truck stop

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Prosecutors put a man accused of fatally shooting an off-duty corrections officer last year on notice Monday: They will be seeking the death penalty against him.

Demaurea Grant, who was extradited to Florida earlier this month following a lengthy stay in North Carolina, made his first appearance in a Duval County courtroom on Monday.

Assistant State Attorney Mark Caliel didn’t mince words about the sentence the state will pursue if Grant is convicted of the murder of Officer Brad McNew.

Judge Mark Borello asked Caliel if the state would offer Grant a plea deal.

“The state’s offering the death penalty, your honor,” Caliel said.

Grant, who was arrested in North Carolina on Oct. 13, was brought back to Duval County earlier this month and will face multiple charges stemming from the incident, including first-degree murder, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Grant has pleaded not guilty to the charges and will await trial in the Clay County jail.

Borello set a June 16 pretrial hearing, when the trial date is expected to be set in Grant’s case. His defense team is asking for a date in 2026.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Grant is accused of killing McNew in October after McNew intervened in a domestic dispute Grant was having at a Love’s Truck Stop on Jacksonville’s Northside.

McNew had worked at the Duval County jail for 24 years.

Right after that deadly shooting, Sheriff T.K. Waters did not hold back as he expressed his anger over losing a corrections officer to gun violence.

“Today, we collectively voice that we will not tolerate when a lawless criminal needlessly takes the life of a human being who is bravely defending a stranger in need and serving the members of this great community,” Waters said at the time.

The 30-year-old Grant had been in custody in North Carolina, where he is from, and where he was arrested on Oct. 13. He had been fighting extradition but lost that battle.

“Grant was placed in Officer McNew’s handcuffs—a symbolic reminder of the life he took,” JSO said. “Our partners at the Clay County Sheriff’s Office have graciously agreed to house Grant in their jail as he awaits trial.”

JSO said that Makayla Huggins, 26, was the woman Grant was arguing with when McNew intervened.

She drove away with Grant in the car after the shooting occurred and later pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact. She will face sentencing later this month, JSO said.

“This horrific act has had a lasting ripple effect on our community. Officer McNew is deeply missed by his wife, son, colleagues, and friends,” the agency wrote. “Your JSO will continue working with the State Attorney’s Office to seek justice for all who loved Officer McNew.”