Duval County Jury Finds Braziel Guilty of Second-Degree Murder

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Rodney Braziel guilty of Second-Degree Murder and Tampering with Evidence. With the verdict, Braziel faces up to life in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Jonathan Sacks will sentence Braziel at a later date.

In the early hours of Feb. 16, 2020, a group of people — including the victim and Braziel — gathered in the back parking lot of a closed restaurant on King Street. Braziel’s friends and another person were arguing when the victim stepped in to break up the fight. The group of people got in their respective cars as if to leave. Witnesses told officers Braziel then got out of his car, fired a shot over the roadway, walked up to the victim, and shot him in the back of the head. Off-duty officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office heard the gunshots and immediately responded. Multiple witnesses identified Braziel as the shooter, and surveillance footage from nearby confirmed their timeline of the incident. Braziel handed over his firearm to other people on scene and directed them to toss it, but they handed it over to police.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Brooke Milo and Joe Licandro.