Lee County NAACP calls for criminal charges in FMPD shooting, citing anonymous letter

The Lee County NAACP is calling on local prosecutors to bring criminal charges against the Fort Myers police officer who fatally shot Dunbar resident Christopher Jordan last month, citing an anonymous letter accusing the department of a coverup.

While speaking in front of the Fort Myers Police headquarters downtown, Lee County NAACP President James Muwakkil said the organization received a letter with no return address on Thursday, purportedly from an unnamed FMPD officer.

The letter claims that Police Chief Jason Fields allowed the department to release a statement claiming that Jordan pointed a gun at officers, despite knowing that Jordan, 58, did not have a firearm during the standoff.

“We don’t know if we have a gang that’s wearing badges that carries weapons. We are concerned," Muwakkil said. “This appears to be an attempt to, perhaps, cover this up.”

The press conference marked an abrupt shift for Muwakkil, who met with Fields to discuss the shooting on Dec. 21 and then told Fox 4 that the NAACP was ending its advocacy about the case.

"We don't believe the department is going to cover anything up," Muwakkil said at the time. "We trust our law enforcement, we trust our law."

Asked why he is now calling for criminal prosecution, Muwakkil said he believes the anonymous letter to be credible.

“Our reason to believe this is the fact that we know Mr. Jordan. We grew up with him. He was not known to have a firearm, period. He was not known to be aggressive, period," Muwakkil said. “When we asked Chief Fields if he had a gun, Chief Fields refused to answer that question. He pointed to, that’s a [Florida Department of Law Enforcement] question.”

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, and that inquiry is ongoing, FDLE Communications Director Gretl Plessinger told The News-Press Friday afternoon.

Fort Myers Police have not publicly identified the officer who shot Jordan or released body camera footage from officers at the scene. The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Muwakkil provided copies of the letter at the press conference. The letter's author alleges that emails between Fields and his command staff will prove that officials knew Jordan was not armed.

The NAACP has now filed a records request seeking those emails, Muwakkil said Friday.

The letter also claims Fields notified Fort Myers City Manager Marty Lawing and Law Director Grant Alley immediately after the incident that Jordan was unarmed.

Officers responded to Jordan's Stella Street home on Dec. 1 after his sister called 911, saying that Jordan had threatened her with a firearm, according to a police statement released after the shooting.

Jordan allegedly barricaded himself in the home during a 45-minute standoff with officers, who fatally shot him after he appeared at a window brandishing a gun, police said.

Members of Jordan's family said he was not known to have a gun and questioned the police version of events, prompting the NAACP to file a federal civil rights complaint and hold a press conference outside the home on Dec. 14.

A News-Press review of Lee County court records show that Jordan faced a string of drug and burglary charges dating back through the 1990s but revealed no cases involving firearms.

At the time, Muwakkil said he was concerned that police had not released body camera footage or identified the officer, and questioned why a mental health professional was not called to the scene to negotiate with Jordan.

"45 minutes was not nearly long enough," Muwakkil said.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Christopher Jordan shooting: Lee County NAACP calls for charges