Community outrage over wedding guest murder
ATLANTA - Few cases in recent memory have created as much outrage in the Atlanta community like the shooting death of Christian Broder, a general manager of a popular DC restaurant. The shooting of Broder, who was waiting outside a private Atlanta club for a ride following a wedding, dominated Atlanta area talk radio and social media.
It happened July 7 outside of Atlanta's Capital City Club. Broder, who is from Atlanta, was with three other people waiting for their Uber to arrive. Instead, police said they were approached by two men in a white Dodge Charger.
Officials said one of the men got out from the passenger side of the vehicle and pulled out a handgun, demanding their belongings. After the victims gave up their cell phones, wallets, and other valuables, investigators say the suspect attempted to return to the car.
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Officials said Broder then attempted to follow the suspect. They believe he may have tried to reason with the gunman to make a request to get his license back.
Police said the suspect fired his gun at Broder, shooting him in the stomach. The gunman got into the car and fled the scene.
That gunman was later identified as Jayden Myrick, 17, was arrested Thursday. He was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated battery, and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Broder, the general managers at popular DC restaurant Millie's, died late Friday night from his injuries. Charges for Myrick were quickly upgraded to murder.
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Still, there is a lot of talk and outrage about Myrick’s status at the time of the shooting. FOX 5 News first reported Thursday about Myrick’s prior run-in with the law. Three years ago, when Myrick was just 14, he was arrested for holding up a woman on the south side of Atlanta. The boy agreed to a negotiated plea sentenced to 15 years with 7 to serve in the adult system. But Myrick's attorney made a request to Judge Doris Downs to get out of detention with time served. The judge agreed and ordered him probation administered by a private counseling program.
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FOX 5 News showed exclusive video of Myrick inside the Fulton County Jail during FOX 5 News at 6 on Monday.
Observers blame the latest crime on a near-revolving door for juvenile offenders. The shooting and now death of Christian Broder was a boiling topic on talk radio and at the barber shops Monday.
Atlanta area host Mike Brooks took aim at the judge who allowed accused triggerman Jayden Myrick to go free on probation from a previous robbery not that long before Broder and three others got held up outside the Capital City Club 15 days ago.
“She needs to go. She needs to resign now,” 106.7’s Mike Brooks said on his radio show Monday.
He was talking about Judge Doris Dee Downs, a well-known Fulton Superior Court judge.
"It was her doing that put him back in the street. She might as well have her fingerprints on that weapon then,” one caller told Brooks on his noon show.
"I know Paul Howard's office and the prosecutor’s office in Fulton County, they take a lot of heat on a number of cases but in this particular case, his people told this judge how violent this guy was,” Brooks said.
"That Myrick had essentially been serving as the leader of a criminal street gang in the institution,” Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard told FOX 5’s Morse Diggs last week. “And one of those incidents involved him putting a bar of soap in a sock and striking a young person in the face.”
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Brooks on Monday suggested that if Judge Downs declines to step down, then voters should recall her. One of his callers is focused on the suspect Myrick, only 17 years of age.
“Get rid of the guy. Get rid of him. he's not ever going to be anything to society,” one called told Brooks. “I mean electric chair, firing squad... if they ain't got no one to pull the switch, call me I will pull the switch.”
Judge Downs has turned down several interview requests but told FOX 5’s Morse Diggs that it would be extremely improper for her to make any comment on the case as it the case is still technically before her.
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