JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The News4JAX I-TEAM looked into the criminal past of the man accused of fatally shooting Jacksonville Correctional Officer Brad McNew early Saturday.
Demaurea Grant’s criminal record spans nearly a decade, with arrests in both Duval County, Florida, and North Carolina.
RELATED | Nationwide manhunt underway after off-duty JSO corrections officer killed at Northside truck stop
Grant’s arrest record dates back to 2015, with charges ranging from kidnapping and assault by strangulation to assault on a law enforcement officer.
One of his more notorious incidents took place in 2021 at a McDonald’s in Jacksonville, where he assaulted two employees during an argument over being charged extra for barbecue sauce.
Former fast-food employee Margaret Gilbert, who was working at the McDonald’s during the incident, spoke with News4JAX about her terrifying experience.
“He definitely had anger issues,” Gilbert recalled. “He assaulted my manager and then pulled out a gun. I was scared for my life.”
According to the arrest report, the confrontation escalated when Grant became enraged after being informed he would need to pay $0.75 for additional barbecue sauce. After parking his car in the drive-thru, Grant stormed into the restaurant, where he pushed the manager to the ground and displayed a black gun, keeping it pointed at the floor.
“I saw the gun,” Gilbert said. “I wasn’t in front of him, but I could see the back end of it. That was enough for me to feel real fear.”
Though Grant was charged with firearm possession, aggravated assault, and battery, prosecutors later determined the gun was not real.
The firearms charge was dropped, but Grant pleaded guilty to the assault charges and spent one year in jail. After serving his sentence in Florida, he was extradited to North Carolina to face additional charges.
MORE | ‘Kind to a fault’: Loved ones, colleagues remember murdered JSO corrections officer
Now, Grant is at the center of another tragic case. This time, accused of fatally shooting Corrections Officer Brad McNew. Witnesses from Grant’s past, like Gilbert, aren’t surprised that his temper led to such a violent act.
“It was just a small amount of money, but he got so angry,” Gilbert said. “I wish he had been locked up longer.”
Grant is currently being held without bond in North Carolina, awaiting extradition to Florida to face charges in the murder of Officer McNew.