This petition speaks from a place of personal despair and seeks justice for a grave injustice. Over Christmas, Deputy Peter Peraza of Broward County, Florida, knowingly detained Jennifer Heath Box, despite having sufficient information to affirm that she was not a suspect. Ms. Box was subjected to inhumane conditions for more than 72 horrifying hours in Florida's jail, a period that amplifies the severity of the violation of her basic human rights.

Ms. Box was arrested while disembarking from a Royal Caribbean cruise because the police had an outstanding warrant for a "Jennifer Delcarmen Heath". The photo attached to the warrant was of Ms. Box, but none of the other information matched up, including her age, height, skin color, SSN, drivers license number, and FBI number. 

It was within Deputy Peraza's power to release Ms. Box when he realized that he had the wrong person, but he chose to ignore the information, most likely because it would create too much paperwork and he wanted to get home for Christmas. Notice the irony.

Jails in Florida have been repeatedly exposed for having deplorable conditions - a reality that is brutal enough for actual criminals, let alone innocent citizens. Peraza's actions are an egregious abuse of his authority, bringing to light a systemic issue that is too often swept under the rug. It's crucial to understand that Deputy Peraza’s actions do not merely reflect on him as an individual, but as part of a wider justice system that allows for such miscarriages of justice to occur.

In the spirit of justice and transparency, we implore Broward County to terminate Deputy Peraza and send a strong message about the acceptance of such law enforcement abuse. A precedent must be set - this behavior from law officials is unacceptable and must not go unchecked. Thus, we demand not just the termination of Deputy Peter Peraza but also a broad review and reform of policing protocols within Broward County.

Please sign our petition and stand with us in the pursuit of justice. Your support will make all the difference. Together, we can make a change and ensure that this kind of incident is less likely to occur in the future, and if it does, the responsible parties are held accountable.