JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The United States Department of Justice is monitoring Le’Keian Woods’ beating incident after his attorneys sent a request for the DOJ to investigate the arrest of their client and other similar incidents involving “excessive use of force.”
Civil Rights attorney Harry Daniels and personal injury attorney Marwan Porter are representing Woods and sent a letter to the DOJ on Oct. 5.
The Civil Rights Division of the DOJ responded on Oct. 23 saying that they will take a look at Woods’ arrest and will take appropriate action if they find that this is a prosecutable federal criminal civil rights offense.
“Sheriff Waters and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office may not take this kind of brazen and unapologetic violence seriously. But the DOJ sure does,” said Daniels. “Some of the stories we’ve heard are downright terrifying and it’s encouraging to know that now the JSO’s victims have somewhere to turn for justice.”
READ: DOJ request to investigate Le’Keian Woods | DOJ response to request to investigate Le’Keian Woods
The body cam footage that Sheriff T.K. Waters released to combat accusations against JSO shows Woods being detained by multiple officers after a taser was used on him and he fell face-first to the ground.
One of the detectives steadily demanded Woods put his hands behind his back. For two minutes and 12 seconds, Woods appears to not comply with the detective’s commands, so the officer hits him.
According to the arrest report, one detective hit Woods five times in the face and once in the ribs. Another kneed him four times in the ribs and face, the report said.
Woods’ face was left bloodied and his mug shot showed him with two swollen black eyes.
The DOJ requested any additional information about this or other such incidents involving the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office be reported to the FBI’s Resident Agency in Jacksonville at (904) 248-7000.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released the following statement:
Any characterization that the Department of Justice is actively monitoring the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is categorically and unequivocally false. The JSO is not being monitored, investigated, or examined by the DOJ. As our agency has previously articulated, we welcome the DOJ inquiry regarding the JSO officers’ conduct during the arrest of Mr. Woods, as we are confident that federal investigators will arrive at our same conclusion that the involved officers acted within administrative policy.
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