GREGORY EDWARDS

Several black pastors prayed and gathered outside of a courthouse during the trial of three white men who are charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery.

Ahmaud Arbery Georgia Trial Hundreds of pastors rally during the trial of Greg McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan outside the Glynn County Courthouse, Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. Al Sharpton announced the rally after a defense attorney intensified frustrations in the coastal Georgia community of Brunswick when he said he didn't want "any more Black pastors" sitting in the courtroom with Arbery's family. Criticizing the failed attempt to keep black pastors out of court, Sharpton told the rally that no one had questioned who is sitting with the defendants' families. Edwards said he cried when he saw the video of Arbery's shooting death and thought of his three Black adult sons. “Through technology we have been forced to bear witness to the public executions of our Black brothers and sisters,” Edwards said.

Al Sharpton announced the rally after a defense attorney intensified frustrations in the coastal Georgia community of Brunswick when he said he didn't want "any more Black pastors" sitting in the courtroom with Arbery's family. As soon as the call for pastors to come to Brunswick went out, Edwards said, he rearranged his schedule to fly down. Edwards said he cried when he saw the video of the 25-year-old Black man's shooting death and thought of his three Black adult sons. “Through technology we have been forced to bear witness to the public executions of our Black brothers and sisters,” Edwards said. Cellphone video of Arbery's death on Feb. 23, 2020, leaked online about two months later, deepening a national outcry over racial injustice.

Hundreds of pastors are rallying at the Georgia courthouse where three white men are on trial in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Kathleen Edwards — the widow of Gregory Edwards — was arrested on Wednesday in Volusia County, following the death of her 18-month-old son last July. Edwards’ son, Gregory Edwards Jr., died on July 2, 2020, days after he was pulled from the family’s pool at their home in Grant on June 27, 2020, records show. According to prosecutors, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office conducted a months-long investigation into the child’s death. The man, a combat veteran, later got into a confrontation with deputies while at the Brevard County Jail. The man’s family filed a civil suit in December 2020 against the West Melbourne police officers who arrested Gregory Edwards and the City of West Melbourne seeking punitive damages for his death.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The family of Gregory Edwards filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking punitive damages against the West Melbourne police officers who arrested the combat veteran leading up to his death in the Brevard County Jail. The City of West Melbourne is also listed as a defendant in the civil suit. Edwards was arrested a day earlier by West Melbourne police outside a retail store for allegedly assaulting a charity worker. The lawsuit lists Edwards’ episode as a serious medical emergency requiring immediate treatment that he did not receive under the care of authorities. Edwards later got into a confrontation with deputies while at the Brevard County Jail.

But it was not the first time Douglas had seen the jail security footage, or at least, some it. Ivey refused to release the security video showing what happened to Edwards, citing security exemptions to the state’s public records laws. The video Ivey showed him was at most 20 minutes long and focused on the altercation up until Edwards was placed in the restraint chair, Douglas said. “We actually showed it to Greg Edwards' brother. In fact, I think he was upset at his brother (Edwards), for, for what he had just witnessed from it,” Ivey said.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Nearly two years after his death in custody, the public is getting a look at what happened to Gregory Edwards after he was taken to the Brevard County Jail Complex. Video showing Edwards in a confrontation with deputies at the jail was released Friday as the result of a lawsuit filed by News 6 partner Florida Today. Florida Today has provided its analysis on the video, which you can read by clicking or tapping here. All due to the fact that each of these agencies failed to support the inaccurate representations and narrative as reported by the Florida Today. Sheriff Wayne Ivey Posted by Brevard County Sheriff's Office, Florida (Official) on Thursday, November 12, 2020The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office has also posted an edited video that includes narration from Sheriff Wayne Ivey.

Raw video shows Gregory Edwards' confrontation with Brevard deputies before his deathPublished: November 14, 2020, 12:23 pmNearly two years after his death in custody, the public is getting a look at what happened to Gregory Edwards after he was taken to the Brevard County Jail Complex.

Both Qaiser and the Sheriff’s Office criminal investigation have dismissed the spit hood having any role in Edward’s death. The policy change also now requires deputies to fill out use-of-force reports when spit hoods are deployed. You change it immediately.”Bedard said the policy change was almost certainly a result of Edwards' death. It became public only after FLORIDA TODAY brought its lawsuit against the sheriff’s office to release the video. Attorney Birk said the sheriff’s office had no reason to fear making the amendment public would be evidence of wrongdoing.

They did not follow policy that demanded “continuous” monitoring of him once he was strapped in the restraint chair, which can restrict breathing and circulation. In December 2018, Gregory Edwards, a combat veteran with PTSD, was found unresponsive in his jail cell after a fight with deputies. But the jail video tells a story that is not so straight forward. Restraint and neglectPer restraint chair protocol, a deputy controls Edwards' head as he is secured into the chair. Richard Zimmerman, puts it over Edwards' head, but the pepper spray is never removed from Edwards' face.

VIERA, Fla. – The Gregory Edwards video will be made public Friday. Edwards resisted being booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes, leading to an altercation with at least seven deputies. The Sheriff’s Office said its release could endanger the safety of deputies and inmates at the jail. Florida Today filed a lawsuit against the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in July seeking the video. The agreed-upon video will allow the public to see what happened to Edwards from the moment he entered the Brevard County Jail with only certain security features being redacted.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The Gregory Edwards video will be made public, News 6 partner Florida Today reports. Edwards resisted being booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes, leading to an altercation with at least seven deputies. The sheriff’s office said its release could endanger the safety of deputies and inmates at the jail. FLORIDA TODAY filed a lawsuit against the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in July seeking the video. There are very compelling issues,” Dugan said, emphasizing a needed balance between the public’s right to the video and the sheriff’s security concerns.

Edwards died Dec. 10, 2018, while in the custody of the sheriff’s office. After failing to get the video through public records requests, FLORIDA TODAY filed a lawsuit against the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in July seeking the video. The sheriff’s office again refused to release the video, citing security exemptions to the state’s public records law, saying that the safety of deputies and inmates at the jail was at stake. “I’m at a loss for why that’s unreasonable.”Attorney Jessica Travis, representing FLORIDA TODAY, expressed frustration at the requested delay. Edwards resisted being booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes, leading to an altercation with at least seven deputies.

“They are making a very reasonable argument that the public needs to know what happened at the jail,” Brevard circuit court Judge David Dugan said Friday. Edwards was charged with hitting a charity Santa Claus at a West Melbourne Walmart on Dec. 9, 2018. The criminal defense lawyer and former public defender said he watch the video to see what Edwards said and what he did once inside the jail. “And then I would look at the response,” Edmond said. The judge then has to approve the agreement before video can become public.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Attorneys for the Brevard County sheriff and the Florida Today newspaper have reached a tentative agreement for the release of video from inside the Brevard Jail on the day a U.S. combat veteran died while in custody. Gregory Edwards died Dec. 10, 2018, while at the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes. In July, the newspaper sued the Sheriff’s Office for the video’s release. On Friday, the newspaper and the sheriff’s office attorneys reached a tentative agreement for the release of the video. Outside the hearing Friday, people carried signs and posters calling for the Sheriff’s Office to release the video.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Days before a scheduled civil trial pitting Florida Today against the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office over the release of the Gregory Edwards jail video, Circuit Judge David Dugan continued the case while pushing both sides toward resolving the matter, reports News 6 partner Florida Today. In delaying the trial, Dugan said he hoped that both sides could come to an agreement. [RELATED: Billboards honor combat veteran Gregory Edwards who died in Brevard custody]Gregory Edwards, a U.S. combat veteran, died Dec. 10, 2018, while in the custody of the sheriff’s office. Attorney Jessica Travis, representing FLORIDA TODAY, accused the sheriff’s office of dragging its feet. Ivey’s refusal to release the video and the subsequent lawsuit is the latest friction in FLORIDA TODAY’S relationship with the sheriff.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Drivers in Brevard County may have noticed billboards around town with the name Gregory Edwards. Edwards was a combat army veteran who died while in law enforcement custody in December 2018. “He’s got diagnosed PTSD issues.”Jail booking centerBut when Edwards made it to the Brevard County jail, the situation unraveled. “We need to improve what we’re doing to take care of people with PTSD,” Smith said. Our news partners at Florida Today are suing the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office to have the video released to the public.

For the first time in eight years, Brevard County will cast their vote for sheriff. Sheriff Wayne Ivey, who was first elected in 2012, is facing a Democratic challenger this year after running unopposed in 2016. Alton Edmond, a criminal defense attorney, explained why he decided to run for sheriff on “The Weekly on ClickOrlando.com with Justin Warmoth.” “As a public figure it’s important to understand who you answer to and who your bosses are, and those bosses are the taxpayers of Brevard County,” Edmond said. The incident was caught on jail surveillance, but Sheriff Ivey has not made it public after several requests from the community. “As sheriff, I will release the Gregory Edwards video,” Edmond said.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A month-long Florida Department of Law Enforcement review of the Brevard County Sheriff’s in-house investigation into the death of combat veteran Gregory Lloyd Edwards in 2018 was “complete and thorough,” the agency concluded this week. He then resisted being booked at the Brevard County Jail and ended up in a fight with a deputy. What we did wasn’t an investigation but just a review of (the sheriff’s) investigation,” FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger told FLORIDA TODAY on Sunday. The FDLE agent reviewed the video at the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, where the clips remain. [READ: Report: 1-year-old son of Gregory Edwards pronounced dead | Sheriff Ivey makes ‘uncomfortable’ surprise visit to the widow of Gregory Edwards]The findings of FDLE's overview was not a surprise, said some community leaders who have been following the Edwards case.

Kathleen Edwards, widow of Gregory Edwards, and her mother called 911 after finding the son, about 18 months old, and pulling him from the pool at the family’s house in Grant, a friend at the scene said. Brevard County Sheriff's Office Cpl. The house’s driveway was roped off as a crime scene so the sheriff’s office could investigate, which Jennings said was the sheriff office’s usual procedure for drownings. He said the sheriff’s office had to obtain a search warrant to go inside the house because Edwards did not want law enforcement inside. Gregory Edwards was arrested for assaulting a charity worker in what Kathleen Edwards said was a post-traumatic stress disorder episode, then declared dead after a confrontation with deputies at the jail.

“We’ll be reviewing the investigative records and all video the sheriff’s office has on the case. But what exactly does a review entail and what will the FDLE be looking for when going over the sheriff's investigation that was wrapped up last year? Sheriff Ivey last week, offered Edwards widow, Kathleen Edwards, a chance to view the footage along with another person. Kathleen Edwards appealed to the Governor's Office and the FDLE several times to re-investigate the case. The legal difference this time around, according to FLDE spokeswoman Plessinger, is that the invitation was made by the Sheriff's Office, and that the agency is reviewing the case itself.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – New video emerged Tuesday showing details of Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey’s unannounced Sunday night visit to the Grant-Valkaria home of the widow of U.S. Army veteran Gregory Edwards, News 6 partner Florida Today reported. I know there’s been a lot of turmoil and everything else as a result of all this,” Ivey told her. Ivey then told Edwards that he and his men had come because he was afraid for her. Margarita Bonilla (left), the mother-in-law of Gregory Edwards, holds a sign at a demonstration in Melbourne on Thursday night. In the interview with the Orlando TV station, the sheriff said he believed Edwards' death was being used for political reasons.

The announcement was made by Sheriff Wayne Ivey at a Friday morning press conference. The surprise visit left Kathleen Edwards, a combat veteran who has post-traumatic stress disorder, rattled emotionally, and describing it as "uncomfortable," "intimidating," and "shocking." [READ: West Melbourne officer receives threats after edited arrest video goes viral, memo says | Defense seeks release of jail video involving Gregory Edwards and corrections deputies]"He hugged me and recorded it. Margarita Bonilla (left), the mother-in-law of Gregory Edwards, holds a sign at a demonstration in Melbourne on Thursday night. Ivey told Edwards that he could show her the video and lay out the case for her and one other person.

Members of a criminal defense attorney organization, along with the Brevard County Public Defender are calling for Sheriff Wayne Ivey to release a jail video showing a violent confrontation between Gregory Edwards and corrections deputies, News 6 partner Florida Today reported. There’s really nothing stopping the sheriff from releasing the video,” Wagner told Florida Today. It just seems that the only reason (the sheriff) is objecting to its release is that it is Gregory Edwards,” Wagner said. Sheriff Ivey said during a press conference that Edwards fought like a 'caged animal' with corrections deputies on the day he was brought to the jail. Sheriff Ivey moved however to keep the video out of the public eye, despite the case being closed.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. Criminal defense attorney Alton Edmond one of the organizers of a justice rally that drew over 3,000 people to the Space Coast last weekend announced Tuesday his intention to challenge Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, according to News 6 partner Florida Today. The position pays more than $162,000 a year and oversees operations at the Brevard County Jail Complex, courthouse security, animal services and Port Canaveral. The trial lawyer founded Edmond Law in 2017, representing defendants and businesses. Edmond was released from the office which then had three minority attorneys after controversy over him wearing a Black Lives Matter tie. Edmond is expected to publicly announce his run for the Sheriffs Office later this week.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Corrections officers who restrained, pepper-sprayed and shocked an inmate they said resisted them have been cleared of wrongdoing in connection with the man's death. Officials from the state attorney's Office announced Monday that a use-of-force investigation into the incident involving inmate Gregory Edwards had concluded. State Attorney Phil Archer wrote in a letter to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office that Edwards was behaving erratically. Edwards' death was ruled accidental as a result of excited delirium. He did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of his death, according to the medical examiner's report.