Man sues Florida cops, alleging severe beating during traffic stop that led to viral video

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Florida man was severely beaten by Jacksonville sheriff’s officers in an incident. viral video He filed a federal lawsuit Thursday last year, claiming the officers brutally violated his rights.

lawyers Le’Keian WoodsWoods, 25, said in the lawsuit that Woods suffered some form of traumatic brain injury, kidney rupture, nerve damage and other damage from his arrest in September 2023, resulting in one death. misdemeanor conviction For resisting the police without using violence. The incident was captured on video by a bystander; Woods was handcuffed and had swollen eyes and a bloody face.

Attorney Harry Daniels said of police actions, including hitting Woods with fists, knees and elbows after he fled a police traffic stop and was tasered: “All of that was not warranted.”

Woods, who attended a press conference with his lawyers on Thursday, said he ran away during the traffic stop because he was afraid of being shot. He said he has no regrets about the decisions he made that day. Police reports at the time showed Woods was shot at least 17 times.

case He did not allege wrongdoing by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, only individual officers. In the case, the officers — Josue GarrigaHunter Sullivan, Trey McCullough and Beau Daigle – all used excessive force against Woods.

The lawsuit also includes a separate allegation against Sullivan and Daigle for pointing guns at vehicle occupants during the stop, and a third allegation against Sullivan that says the officer slammed Woods’ face into the ground after Woods was handcuffed. Officers could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

The incident sparked local and national outrage after the video spread on social media. Weeks after the incident, a social justice organization in Jacksonville and Woods’ family came together to condemn the officers’ actions and call for an end to police brutality. First Coast News.

Complaints about the arrest were received quickly US Department of JusticeHe said he was “monitoring” the case. But in November 2023, the department halted the investigation, saying “the incident did not result in an actionable violation of federal civil rights laws.”

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What happened to Le’Keian Woods?

Video taken by a bystander showed officers detaining Woods following a traffic stop; In this video, at least three police officers were seen forcing Woods to the ground in the grass near a vehicle. Woods was beaten by cops after being pulled over for an alleged seat belt violation, Daniels said.

According to the arrest report and body camera footage, officers claimed they saw Woods dealing drugs at a gas station and believed he was armed. They attempted a traffic stop but instead followed Woods and two friends in a pickup truck to a dead end in an apartment complex’s driveway.

Daigle and Sullivan attempted a “high-risk lift” in that area, according to the report. Woods fled from the front passenger seat toward the apartment complex while Daigle gave commands to those inside, the report said.

Sullivan then ran after Woods and deployed his stun gun, according to the report. Three of the officers — Sullivan, Garriga and McCullough — repeatedly struck Woods and forced him to his knees while trying to handcuff him.

Days after Woods’ arrest, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it believed officers “acted appropriately” in response to the incident. Woods was initially charged with felonies including armed trafficking in amphetamines and cocaine.

But these accusations then fell After his lawyer argued that Woods was just a passenger in the truck and could not have been linked to drugs. He pleaded guilty to resisting arrest without violence and was sentenced to nine days in jail.

Credit: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY

This article first appeared in the Florida Times-Union: Le’Keian Woods, beaten in viral arrest video, files lawsuit against Florida officers