March protests acquittal, dropped charges in slaying
John A. Rooney Jr.
More than 100 people marched across the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge that links Petersburg and Colonial Heights, where the Braswells lived.
PETERSBURG -- A March for Justice rally drew more than 100 people yesterday amid criticism of an acquittal and dropped charges in the shooting death of a popular Petersburg businessman three years ago.
Slain businessman Robert L. Braswell Jr.'s family organized the afternoon march to the Petersburg Police Department in response to the June 1 acquittal of one of four defendants charged in his slaying and last week's decision by a special prosecutor to drop charges against two other defendants scheduled for trial this month.
Braswell's relatives say they are determined to see convictions in the case.
"Anger," said widow Rhonda Braswell, when asked her reaction to news of the dropped charges.
Marching across the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge that links Petersburg and Colonial Heights, where the Braswells lived, Braswell said she hopes to send a message that the case can't be swept aside.
"The rational person in me understands" that it will take time, she said. "The wife part of me who suffers every day doesn't because justice isn't being done."
While not expressly describing the court proceeding as racially biased, Braswell said only one white person sat on the jury, and she questioned the decision to turn over prosecution of the case to an outside prosecutor from another jurisdiction, who is white. Petersburg Commonwealth's Attorney Cassandra Burns is black.
Braswell also claimed that a total of four jurors fell asleep during the trial; she said she saw two doze off and that other relatives saw another two fall asleep.
Assistant Dinwiddie County Commonwealth's Attorney Nelson Fisher, who was appointed special prosecutor in the case, dropped charges against two other defendants last week, saying that the not-guilty verdict against key defendant and admitted crack-cocaine dealer Antoine D. Mylar, 29, of Hopewell pointed to difficulties in the case.
Fisher said last night that no trial date has been set for the fourth co-defendant, Shelly Grey, 49. Mylar's defense lawyer described her testimony in his case as not credible and inconsistent.
Fisher said the shift in prosecution to his office was prompted in part because Grey had once received help from Petersburg's victim-witness assistance program, which is operated by the commonwealth's attorney's office.
Fisher said a perception of a conflict of interest could have developed if Burns' office had tried the case.
Robert Braswell, 43, was shot to death in front of his business, Lowry Tire, on North Crater Road as he opened for business Nov. 9, 2006. The first arrests in the high-profile case came two years later.
Robert Braswell's youngest sister, Stacy Galle, and stepsister, Carrie Hubert, have said family members are considering asking for federal help in prosecuting the case as a hate crime if it stalls in Petersburg.
Rhonda Braswell, marching with her three daughters yesterday and an all-white following of supporters, said she is still stunned by the loss of her husband to such violence.
"The shop closed the day he died and never re-opened," she said. She continues to work as a bookkeeper but has had to sell the family home.
"It's been devastating for us," she said.
Contact Bill McKelway at (804) 649-6601 or
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Reader Reactions
datony
“MY MY MY Touched a nerve have I?- well GET OVER IT!!!“ Isn’t that what you told me? They WON the “ridiculous” law suit- so GET OVER IT!-YOURSELF. Oh well- think as you will- but WHO CARES? Evidently there is truth you do not want to admit to- but this is about tragedies- so GET OVER your bias opinions and stay in your own little world. I NEVER go to Petersburg- so I guess I will COUNT MY BLESSINGS!!! May PEACE be with all the families involved in both cases. When one person dies- it affects SO MANY others-that is EXTREMELY SAD!
once again tab u have prove my point..you are hopelessly ignorant and continue to validate how retarded your way of thinking is…but it is okay, i aint mad at you just lmao…you continue to point out how prejudice i am or how racist i am,but the fact is, i am merely pointing out little behavior patterns that i have picked up from the people that have responded to this post…and you continue to prove my point….that a lot of white people are angry about the verdict of the petersburg trial and it was the opposite for the powhatan trial….and just because he didn’t testify it didnt make him arrogant, just a very smart move by his attorneys and the fact that he ‘married white’ means absolutely nothing to me lol…so what..at the end of the day he is still a black man…as far as the petersburg case goes, apparently there are some facts revolving around the case that the public isnt aware of so that may have something to do with the defendants being found not guilty….and i said it before that both deaths were terrible and tragic,but it is the RESPONSE of these silly people that i am questioning and find fault with…like you lol…by the way, SO WHAT if he wanted to sell his tapes? he had to pay off that ridiculous civil suit filed by the goldmans even though there was proof that the evidence was tampered with by a police officer that was a known racist….dont see you bringing that up in regards to him being innocent or guilty lol ....and you are still a hypocrite.
datony
I do not “skirt” around anything. I have no reason to say anything nice about O.J. or try to say I did not think he did it unless it was true. Arrogant- tell the truth now- he did not testify in court, but after he was free- he wanted to sell his tapes for $29.95- “If I did it”. How about “How I did it and got away with it”. Black people rallied around him- how many thought he was guilty? How many took up for him just because he was black? As you think I assunmed he was guilty- I AM SURE you did not- why?-that is obvious. He married white, dated white later,had mostly white friends and forgot about blacks- so be it! If I was given any case not knowing the color of the person- it would not matter. I would still side with the innocent victim and find the predator guilty. Keep your little closed mind and do not listen to anyone else. If I am in a situation where I need help or I see someone who does- why do I care about color? Do you think I would want a white person to go free if they hurt someone? A criminal will be just that to ANYONE- no discrimation. In Petersburg- 3 younger men against 1 older than him- AND they had a gun-HE HAD NO CHANCE. At least in Powhatan they were about the same age and both had other people with them. I do not know what the feud was about- but as I said before- it was senseless. Both killing were terrible and tragic. So- continue to think whatever- at least I try to see what is happening. I do not know all the details- or pretend to in Powhatan- but the word “hypocrite” you referred to-fits you like a glove.
Tamantha1…..apparently it isnt obvious to you where i am coming from..i thought that i made my point rather clear….first of all, while you may not agree with my point of view, do not misconstrue where my intentions lie or my morals for that matter….i stated that both crimes were tragedies,but once again, for all of you silly people out there, i was making a point of comparing how a lot of ‘you’ responded to this particular case in petersburg and how ‘you’ responded to the case in powhatan….it was totally opposite, plain and simple and yeah, i do see karma in it…because there are lot of white people that are crying foul on the case in petersburg,but didnt understand the anger that aroused from the black community as a result of the powhatan verdict….as far as the brick wall is concerned, you must be referring to that thing on top of your neck that you might call your head….it is supposed to house your brain or in your case, lack of and it is like chatting with a brick wall…and i knew that i was right about o.j. by the way lol lmao…i think that it is sooo funny how you skirted around to how u didnt watch sports and didnt draw a conclusion untiil after you watched the trial….yeah whatever and i have a bridge to sell you too…and his wife’s head was cut almost cut off, but they had been separated for some time…and i find it amusing that you took his behavior as arrogance..that is how a lot of white people do..if a black man speaks up against something, he is considered ‘angry’, or argumentive’ or ‘combative’, or just a bunch of other negative titles lol,but his white counterpart? he is considered “on the go”, or ‘a go-getter’, or even a ‘leader’......and you said that this should be about justice and not making the victim look guilty..i felt the EXACT same way during the outcome of the powhatan trial, but a lot of ‘you’ people felt that the victims weren’t actually victims and went out your way to prove it…how is that different from the way people are responding as a result of the petersburg verdict? there is none other than a white man was shot this time…..you dont have to like what i am saying, just calling it like it is…and dont get it twisted…when someone dies, especially as tragic as these 2 men have, there is someone, somewhere that loves them and is suffering..i haven’t lost sight of that,but i am calling out all of you people, all of you hypocrites
L Johnson
The most “sickening” thing is for a family to be suffering and you make idiot remarks to make the victim look guilty. Of course- you did it on purpose. You do not know him- but you disrepect the deceased and his family by trying to make a point- that is “sickening”. In Powhatan- everyone knew they knew each other. It is too bad authorities could not have stopped this before it happened- it was totally senseless and I do feel sad for the victim. I do not condemn him for his own death!
datony
ONCE AGAIN- “get over it” yourself! It is obvious where you are coming from-like a brick wall. You will always have the same opinion- WHATEVER. Since it did not sink in- I was brought up to be nice to people, treat them as I would like to be treated. It is “karma” that comes back on you when you do something to someone on purpose and think you will never get paid back. I do not see “karma” about any of this. I do not know about your background- NOR DO I CARE- people are not ignorant- their remarks are- like yours! You are still acting like you are trading one person’s life for the other because it makes it equal because of color. As for O.J.- I do not watch sports- I saw him on commercials. He looked nice to me- I was totally surprised when they suspected him. Me- I thought the police was going to find who did it- and O.J. was going to beat the crap out of them. I watched the whole thing for a long time before I believed he was guilty- by his OWN actions. It does not matter what others think- I STAY AWAKE and LISTEN and WATCH to decide for myself. His wife’s head is almost cut off and no tears, no sadness, only arrogance and all about HIMSELF. The truth is- let me guess- he was innocent- oh well. I would not lose millions to hurt anyone- I do not hurt people. So- in his case, the Powhatan case, and the Petersburg case-whoever is guilty will get “karma” in the end! As far as you knowing what I am thinking, etc- you have NO CLUE. This should be about JUSTICE for any victim- not making the victim look guilty for his death.
Lola67….i agree with you….i have a problem with both cases,but i have a concern over the pov of some of the people that think that the jury was just fine in one case and the opposite in the other and that is the point that i was making…it is kind of hard to see that though if you are one of the people that are calling the trial in powhatan ‘just’ and ‘fair’ but crying ‘foul’ for the petersburg case. and like L.Johnson, why can’t people see the similiarities in the 2 cases as far as the way justice was served? in both cases, verdicts were rendered that a lot of people didnt agree with…in both cases, marches were staged…...i just find it ironic that so many people thought that the powhatan outcome was fair but the petersburg case wasn’t….
Let me clarify my position. I only said the thing about Mr. Braswell buying crack to make a point; I don’t know him or the case. My point is, this is how it sounds when people blame the victim. The similarities with the Powhatan case are these. In both cases the victims loved ones felt justice was not served. In both case people called for an investigation. In both cases people marched. To listen to some people place the life of one above the life of another is sickening. I know what you really want to say and how you really feel.
MY MY MY, how ignorant, I AM white and I did and still do have a problem with Taliek’s case AND this case….. we ALL should be concerned when justice is not served, whether we’re black or white!!!!!
my,my,my…touched a nerve have we? oh well…once again GET OVER IT!!!..the karma that i ‘see’ is how so many white people found little or no problem with the verdict of the taliaferro case,many of you critized the black community for standing up and shouting out against the injustice in that case and now you want to cry because the people that have shot this white man weren’t convicted? lol like i said before…it’s karma..and i didnt say anything about paying anyone back for slavery lol….and i’ll bet that you were one of those people that got mad when O.J. was found not guilty in the murder trial,but you were jumping for joy when he got convicted in vegas..dont lie..i know that you were lol…its okay….be honest…..and as far as Mr.Braswell being shot and killed. i never once placed the blame on him or the victims..i was merely pointing out the number of people that were so quick to find the injustice that was done during his trial,but failed to acknowledge the injustice in the taliaferro trial that is all….and that is something that you refuse to acknowledge, you keep bringing up racism and prejudice..so what? it exists and it is evident in your opinion….you were talking about the ‘young thungs’ involved in the braswell case,but apparently the victim ran in certain circles with these young thugs and that unfortunately led to his demise, so ....if the jury didnt find them at fault, why are you? and believe me, as far as making everything black and white…cant do it if i wanted to lol…i am merely stating facts and pointing out how ignorant you are…and while the jury in petersburg was asleep, the one in powhatan must’ve been getting ready to go home to their sister/wife/cousin(usually all of the above with them)......go hard or not at all
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