Jacksonville police investigate brutality claim of Black man shown in viral video of arrest
Calls for justice filled Bay Street Sunday afternoon as dozens of people rallied on the steps of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office headquarters after a video went viral showing the arrest of 24-year-old Le'Keian Woods.
Woods' arrest on Friday was caught on video by a bystander showing multiple officers standing and kneeling over him. At one point, an officer picks Woods up and slams him onto the grass.
Moments later, officers lifted Woods up, revealing bruises and blood across his face. Woods' family accused the officers of punching him during the incident, causing his facial injuries, although this isn't shown in the arrest video.
The family told First Coast Newsthat Woods, his uncle and his friend were pulled over for not wearing their seatbelts as they were on their way to Woods' grandmother's house.
The Sheriff's Office says the incident is under administrative review.
USA TODAY noted the incident is the latest case of alleged police brutality, where encounters with police over traffic violations have turned violent or even fatal. Recent studies have shown racial disparities in policing and experts have said Black people are disproportionately stopped or searched by law enforcement across the country.
During a rally Sunday afternoon, Woods' mother, Natassia Woods, spoke to the crowd describing how hard it's been to get an update on her son's condition. She told First Coast News her son's attorney, Harry Daniels, told her that Woods was going to and from the hospital to be treated for a concussion.
“I’m at a point now that I just want answers for my son," Woods told the crowd. "I want justice for my son. No one should be beaten like that.”
Natassia Woods isn’t the only calling for those things — as she was surrounded by dozens of people with signs and posters.
“We were definitely outraged," said Mary Dennis, who attended the rally. "When I saw the video, I just couldn’t believe that it took that many people to take one person down.”
Woods' mother said she did get a chance to speak with her son, but it was a painful conversation.
"When he called me from the jail, he said, 'Mama, what happened to me?'" Natassia Woods said.
"He didn't even know he got beat like that. He didn't even know that stuff had happened to him. He did not know that he had got beaten that bad."
The Sheriff's Office shared the following statement withmedia on Saturday regarding the incident:
"The agency takes all allegations of inappropriate use of force by JSO officers seriously. As such, this incident is now under administrative review to determine if the involved officers violated any JSO policy. Because the matter is currently under investigation, the agency cannot comment further about the incident until the investigation is completed.”
The Jacksonville Community Action Committee, who organized the rally, called for three things in light of Woods' arrest going viral on social media.
One, for the officers responsible to be held accountable. Two, for the Sheriff's Office to get rid of the gang unit. Three, create a public safety committee made up of community members to review public safety policies.
“Why can’t the city have an institution that can hear the voices of the community in a controlled way that can affect policy in a positive way," said Michael Sampson with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee.
Woods is being held on charges of armed drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance and resisting an officer with violence.
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Attorney Dexter Van Harris represented Woods in court Sunday morning. Van Harris told First Coast News the judge found no probable cause on two of the six charges he is facing, and his bail on the other four totals about $170,000.
Woods' next court date is scheduled for Oct. 24.
Woods was previously arrested and faced a second-degree murder charge in 2018 for an attempted robbery at a Tallahassee apartment complex where his roommate was fatally shot, according to The Florida Times-Union.
Traffic stops across the United States
A number of high-profile cases of police brutality have begun with traffic violations. Traffic stops are one of the most common interactions civilians have with police and while a majority end uneventfully, experts have said people of color — particularly Black people — are disproportionately stopped by police, USA TODAY reported.
These encounters can quickly escalate into violent, and sometimes fatal, incidents. Hundreds of people, including Tyre Nichols, Patrick Lyoya, Daunte Wright, Jayland Walker, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland and Walter Scott have been killed after being stopped by law enforcement for traffic violations.
Police pull over more than 50,000 people daily and more than 20 million motorists annually, according to the Stanford Open Policing Project. Officers generally stop and search Black drivers at higher rates, the study found.
Daniels said Woods' case "bears a striking similarity" to the shooting of 22-year-old Jamee Johnson in 2019. The attorney represented Johnson's family in a federal lawsuit against the city of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
"Johnson was also pulled over for an alleged seat belt violation before being fatally shot by (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office) officer Josue Garriga," Daniels said on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday.
Garriga was one of the officers involved in Woods' arrest, according to a newly released arrest report.
USA TODAY writer N'dea Yancey-Bragg contributed to this report.
This story first appeared on First Coast News.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Le'Keian Woods arrest video prompts outcry against Jacksonville police
