Jacksonville, – The family of Le’Keian Woods, a 24-year-old Black man who was brutally beaten by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) on Friday, has enlisted the help of nationally renowned Civil Rights attorney Harry Daniels to seek justice as the incident has ignited both local and national outrage. Today, Daniels publicly released a video of the beating, which has already gone viral on social media.
According to the family, Woods was subjected to multiple blows by JSO officers after being pulled over for an alleged seat belt violation on Friday, September 29. This incident bears a troubling resemblance to the 2019 killing of 22-year-old Jamee Johnson, who was also pulled over for an alleged seat belt violation before being fatally shot by JSO officer Josue Garriga.
The video in question depicts uniformed and plainclothes officers repeatedly assaulting Woods, striking him and slamming his head into the ground, even after he was handcuffed. Daniels, who also represents Johnson’s family, expressed strong condemnation of the excessive violence showcased in the video.
“If this video of the officers repeatedly assaulting Le’Keian, slamming his head into the ground, and treating him defenselessly while he’s handcuffed doesn’t convince you that these officers should be removed from duty, just look at Le’Keian’s face,” says Daniels. “He looks like he just went 12 rounds with a professional boxer. He’s lucky to be alive.”
Friday’s incident unfolds against the backdrop of strained race relations in Jacksonville. Last month, 21-year-old white supremacist Ryan Palmeter fatally shot three Black residents at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville’s predominantly Black New Town neighborhood, drawing national attention to the Florida community.
As of now, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department has not released body camera footage of Friday’s incident, nor have they publicly identified the officers involved.
For images and the video of the beating, please click [HERE.
