Posted on 01/31/2022 5:32:16 AM PST by marktwain
A 24-year-old man was acquitted Friday afternoon of capital murder in the 2019 slaying of the brother of an NFL football player.
A Jefferson County jury, after two days of deliberation, decided Darrius Frazier fired in self-defense when he killed 27-year-old Gjamal Antonio Rodriguez and wounded Rodriguez’s girlfriend, Dedria Johnson, more than two years ago.
Rodriguez was the brother of NFL lineman Mario Addison who played at Troy University and then for the Carolina Panthers. He now plays for the Buffalo Bills.
The case was prosecuted by Jefferson County Deputy District Attorneys Jessica Hebson and Lauren Breland. Defense attorney Emory Anthony represented Frazier.
Frazier, who has no prior criminal record and has been held without bond in the Jefferson County Jail since Oct. 29, 2019, broke down upon hearing the verdict. He is expected to be released from jail tonight.
“A jury found him not guilty and we’re happy about that,’’ Anthony said. “I’m sad in that the life of Mr. Gjamal Rodriguez was taken, but my client has always said it was only in self-defense.”
“He kept the faith, and he knew the only reason he fired shots was because he believed the young man was reaching for a gun,’’ Anthony said.
The deadly shooing happened about 7:15 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 102 Shawnee Lane on the city’s east side. According to trial testimony, Frazier and Rodriquez were dating sisters who lived at the home there.
Johnson, Rodriguez’s girlfriend, got into some kind of disagreement with Frazier and she warned Frazier that she was going to get Rodriguez involved.
On Oct. 26, 2019, testimony showed, Rodriguez fired six shots into Frazier’s home, at which time Frazier returned fire. No one was injured in that incident.
Rodriguez reportedly vowed to shoot at Frazier every time he saw him.
The following night, according to testimony and closing statements from the lawyers, Frazier was at his girlfriend’s Shawnee Lane home. The two shared a child.
As he was leaving the home, Rodriguez was parked out front with his girlfriend in the passenger’s seat.
Hebson, in her closing statements, said Frazier immediately went to the trunk of his car and pulled out a “big gun,” which was a rifle.
“He walked over to the car and made a choice to engage in a verbal altercation,’’ the prosecutor said. “Words were said. They were angry. They had a beef. They had been going back and forth but the defendant upped the ante.”
Hebson said Frazier started the altercation and that he fired 16 shots into Rodriguez’s vehicle. Rodriquez was struck eight times and later pronounced dead.
His girlfriend, Johnson, was also struck several times but survived.
Hebson said the shooting was not self-defense.
“A person may use deadly physical force and is legally justified in using deadly physical force in self defense if the person reasonably believes the other person is using or is about to use unlawful deadly physical force,’’ Hebson said. “He is not justified if he provoked the situation, if he was the initial aggressor.”
Anthony, in closing arguments, said it was clearly a case a of self-defense. He said after Rodriguez fired into Frazier’s house the previous day, he said, “I will be back. And every time I see you, I’m going to shoot.”
He said Rodriguez went to the girlfriends’ house knowing full well Frazier was there and said he didn’t care. Frazier, he said, left the house and did not intend on having any words with Rodriguez until Rodriguez started the verbal confrontation.
“Not only does he come over, he (the victim) parks his truck five feet away from this man’s (the defendant’s) car,’’ Anthony said. “The same man that is threatening him, the same man that said he is going to shoot him anytime he sees him, is that a coincidence?”
Anthony said Rodriguez was raging mad, and that Frazier only fired when he thought Rodriguez was reaching under his seat for a gun. A gun was not recovered from Rodriguez’s vehicle.
“Every shot fired was fired into the side of the jeep where (Frazier) believed (Rodriguez) was reaching down under the seat to get a gun,’’ Anthony said. “He was trying to stop the person from getting the gun.”
Then, they see you, get a rifle out of their trunk, and approach you. Claim you were trying to get a gun, and shoot and kill you.
Jury says: Self Defense...
If someone shoots at me and misses and then says that they are going to shoot me the next time they see me, I believe them.
I’m a strong self defense believer but this seems to not strictly be that. Perhaps there’s something about their local laws that escapes me.
“Johnson, Rodriguez’s girlfriend, got into some kind of disagreement with Frazier “
Always the case.
Sounds like a real bunch of upstanding citizens all around.
Hoping this guy had some time while in prison to make plans for how he is going to clean up his life, starting with marrying the woman with whom he has a child.
Hard to believe their are no gang connections.
Gjamal should’ve been in gjail after the first shooting. Gjee whiz.
If I could push a button and return to the 70s (and take my family with me) I’d do it in a New York minute. Not much about the last four decades that would miss.
I wonder how many men are dead or in prison due to a woman’s mouth…
If someone shot at me, and then waits in ambush for me on another occaision after announcing that he’ll try again, I’m not going to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Given the facts, the prosecutors had to bring the case to trial, but it sounds like the jury dealt with the facts fairly.
Did NFL lineman Mario Addison kneel for the anthem? Was the jury sending a message to Mario?
Well we are no longer in the garden so there is that.
Always a bright side…
that picture of them in the article looks like a real brain trust.
I guess in the Black community this is perfectly normal behavior. “He shot back so I killed him 8 times over”
Yeah, I can see self defense
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