Pompano Beach Residents Demand Answers After BSO Shooting Of Knife-Wielding Man
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POMPANO BEACH (CBSMiami) – Rain didn't stop demonstrators – part of a protest on the move.
Friends and family of Greg Frazier, along with Black Lives Matter, are sending a message.
"No justice, no peace. No killer police," they chanted.
"We're walking for justice for Greg Frazier," said a protester.
The public does not yet know all the facts about the shooting death of Gregory Frazier on Friday night. Calls to 911 from Frazier's family show he was threatening family members with a knife and there was a deadly confrontation when BSO deputies arrived.
But one thing is clear, the impact of that shooting has left black people in the Pompano Beach community demanding answers and one little girl facing some very adult fears.
Courtavia Westbrook,11, cried as she made a request of Pompano Beach City Commissioners Tuesday night.
"Please don't shoot my brothers and my sisters and my family and friends," she demanded.
The 5th grader says she's traumatized by the shooting of Greg Frazier, a man she knew as Mr. Greg. And as she and others paraded to the microphone at city hall Tuesday night, her words reverberated loudest.
"I hope you don't kill us," she told commissioners, softly.
Related: Sister's 911 Call To Police Ends In Brother's Fatal Shooting
The Broward Sheriff's Office says they received numerous 911 calls last Friday night from Frazier's family saying he was threatening them with a knife. Deputies arrived and found Frazier in the backyard. His family says he was eating dinner on a lawn chair and the situation had calmed down.
It's unclear what led deputies to open fire but BSO says Frazier got up and was armed with a knife.
Activists said they warned Pompano Beach city leaders recently about the need for proactive and preventative policing.
"The blood is on your hands," said one activist who spoke. "That's all I got to say. The blood is on your hands."
Residents said they were surprised to learn that in the predominantly black section of Pompano there are 15 black deputies out of 88 in that district.
"There is no way that we should have 15 African American police officers in the northwest district," one resident told commissioners. "That is insane to me."
BSO Col. Alvin Pollock said the agency wants to hire more African Americans but is having trouble finding applicants.
"There will be change coming to the Broward Sheriff's Office and the city of Pompano Beach," Pollock said. "I can assure you of that."
Related: BSO Holds Community Forum After Deadly Deputy-Involved Shooting
Residents and activists marched to the city commission meeting and held a brief rally outside city hall after they spoke.
The community is making it clear they want a full and transparent investigation into Frazier's death and more accountability from BSO. But commissioners will likely take away the comments from a 5th grader wondering a simple yet profound question.
"Do you like black people?" Courtavia Westbrook wondered.
The Broward Sheriff's Office asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the shooting of Greg Frazier.
Broward State Attorney Michael Satz said he would appoint an independent prosecutor to review the case because a member of Frazier's family works in his office.
