Family of police shooting victim Jamee Johnson speak out after settlement with Jacksonville

The parents of a man shot and killed by a Jacksonville sheriff's officer during a traffic stop are speaking out after settling a lawsuit with the city of Jacksonville.

Sheriff T.K. Waters issued a statement Thursday, saying he's "disappointed" city attorneys signed off on a $200,000 agreement with Jamee Johnson’s family without consulting him.

Johnson’s mother, Kimberly Austin, said the sheriff's opinion is irrelevant, but she also wishes the family didn't have to settle. She said her son’s death and the litigation have taken an emotional toll on the family.

"I didn't want to have to keep going through this. We have to find some type of closure," Austin told Times-Union news partner First Coast News.

The 22-year-old's family settled the lawsuit almost four years after Officer Josue Garriga shot and killed Johnson during a traffic stop initiated for a seatbelt violation. The State Attorney's Office ruled the shooting justifiable.

Waters’ statement said in part: "If properly consulted by representative counsel, my request would have been to take the case before a jury and not settle. JSO maintains that our officer’s actions constituted legally permissible use of force in defense of his own life. While JSO is bound by this settlement agreement, I am deeply disappointed by the outcome of this litigation and JSO’s lack of proper notification by our attorneys."

The settlement does not admit any wrongdoing by Garriga. Documents show the city decided to settle because of the "uncertainty" of a trial.

Johnson’s mother believes the officer should have been held accountable.

Garriga shot Johnson four times, stating he was trying to pull a gun on him.

Johnson's family attorneys argued body camera footage did not show Johnson reaching for a gun.

They also say the bullet trajectory described in his autopsy contradicted Garriga’s story.

"I want to make it clear that Jamee did not do the things that he was accused of doing. […] He didn't try to kill the officer or anything like that," Austin said.

His father, Harvey Johnson, said Garriga ripped his only son and legacy away from him.

"I go out to the grave site and just sit there and just think about what could have been and what should have been, and to know that Garriga's still walking the streets, basically like nothing's ever happened," Johnson said.

They said the pain of losing their son will always be there.

"No amount of money would ever make me satisfied with losing my child,” Austin said. “His life was priceless to me."

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jamee Johnson family settles police shooting lawsuit with Jacksonville