After an inmate was found dead in his cell at Broward County's main jail, his family is now questioning how it happened and is asking for accountability.
The family of Janard Geffrard says his death never should have happened.
“I want answers. I want justice. I want to hold them accountable for this," said Marcia Irving, Geffrard's mother.
According to an arrest report, Geffrard’s cellmate — 35-year-old Kevin Barnes — was caught on surveillance video choking him for two minutes before kicking and stomping on his face. The attack lasted about 20 minutes and happened back on Dec. 16.
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"He was brutally attacked by a fellow inmate. He was punched, he was choked, he was kicked," said attorney Josiah D. Graham.
The report states that almost a half hour after the attack, a Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy found Geffrard unresponsive on the floor bleeding from his mouth.
Gerard’s lawyer said that Barnes told investigators he killed him because he did not agree with his lifestyle and because he was gay.
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Geffrard was declared brain dead on Dec. 26 and then died five days later. He leaves behind his 10-year-old son and a grieving family.
“I don’t want no parent to go through the same thing I’m going through right now," said his father, Jeff Geffrard. "Janard was my oldest son and I loved him very much.”
Geffrard’s family is calling for justice and says a more thorough investigation needs to be done.
"Care, custody and control, where is it? Where were the staff? What were they doing? We’re asking to see the video," said Geffrard's aunt, Amanda Wright.
"Something like this should not happen. Not on our watch," Graham said. "We want to hold the county responsible for leaving him unattended when we knew he was a vulnerable person. We knew he was openly gay and we knew that his cellmate has mental health so that should have been addressed.”
Barnes was recently in jail for grand theft auto and violating probation and is now facing several charges including attempted felony murder and evidence of prejudice while committing the offense. Those charges will now be upgraded as Geffrard did not survive the attack.
BSO's internal affairs has an open investigation into the incident. Two BSO employees, a detention deputy and a detention technician, are on administrative leave with pay.
