Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said a miscommunication with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was the reason she missed the funeral of slain corrections officer Brad McNew.

“Due to a miscommunication between the Mayor’s Office and Sheriff’s Office, the mayor was unaware of the funeral when she arrived back in Jacksonville early Tuesday morning,” her office said in a statement. “She continues to keep the McNew family and first responder community in her heart during this time of grief.”

Sheriff Responds to Deegan’s Absence

McNew was laid to rest on Tuesday at Oaklawn Cemetery, with hundreds of mourners in attendance.

Sheriff T.K. Waters had a brief but pointed response when asked about Deegan’s absence.

“We are incredibly grateful to the hundreds of folks from across this city who showed up to mourn the loss of Officer McNew and to wrap their arms around his family and our department,” Waters said. “The outpouring of love and support is what’s needed most right now. What politicians choose to make time for is not my concern.”

A Hero Remembered

Brad McNew, a veteran Jacksonville Beach corrections officer, was shot and killed at a gas station earlier this month after trying to stop a man from assaulting a woman.

The suspect, DeMaurea Grant, a convicted felon, was arrested in North Carolina and brought back to Jacksonville to face murder charges.

McNew, who was married with a child, was known as a dedicated officer and community volunteer. His death has left a deep impact on the Jacksonville Beach community.