Current:Home > NewsRekubit Exchange:Florida officers under investigation after viral traffic stop video showed bloodied Black man -VitalWealth Strategies
Rekubit Exchange:Florida officers under investigation after viral traffic stop video showed bloodied Black man
TradeEdge Exchange View
Date:2025-04-09 07:37:48
A Black man was seen in a viral video handcuffed with swollen eyes and Rekubit Exchangea bloody face after an encounter with several officers in northeast Florida, the latest case involving the use of force by law enforcement following a traffic stop.
The video, captured by a bystander on Friday, showed officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office taking Le'Keian Woods, 24, into custody after a traffic stop. Several officers were responding to the traffic stop and at least three were seen on the video forcefully holding Woods chest-down on grass near a car.
The incident sparked local and national outrage after the video spread on social media. The family of Woods hired civil rights attorney Harry Daniels "to fight for justice" in the incident, according to Daniels.
In a statement on Saturday, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said the agency was conducting an administrative review of what happened to determine if the officers violated any agency policies. Waters added that the department cannot comment any further on the case until the investigation is completed.
“(On Friday), JSO officers were involved in an incident... in which force was used taking a subject into custody," Waters said. "The agency takes all allegations of inappropriate use of force by JSO officers seriously."
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.
TRAFFIC STOP LAWSUITSettlement reached over cop pepper-spraying Black, Latino soldier in 2020 traffic stop
One officer appears to 'slam' Le'Keian Woods' head
According to Daniels and Woods' family, Woods was pulled over for a seat belt violation on Friday when he was "beaten by multiple" Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officers.
The video, which was also publicly released by Daniels, showed at least three officers on top of Woods. The officers held him chest-down on the grass near a street and car. At one point, an officer appears to slam Woods' head into the ground.
Woods can be seen with a bloody face and swollen eyes as he is handcuffed and propped against an officer's legs, according to the video. He appeared unable to sit down on his own and struggles to stand up.
According to First Coast News, Woods' family said there wasn't a warrant for Woods' arrest but he is on probation. The family alleged that the officers were holding Woods down with their knees and punched him.
Daniels told The Associated Press that Woods was taken to a hospital for treatment of a severe concussion after his arrest, noting that his client was lucky to be alive.
"If this video of the officers repeatedly assaulting Le'Keian, slamming his head in the ground and tossing him around like a ragdoll while he's handcuffed and defenseless isn't enough to convince you that these officers need to be off the street, just look at Le'Keian's face," Daniels said. "He looks like he just went 12 rounds with a professional boxer."
Daniels did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. The attorney will hold a news conference on the arrest on Tuesday, First Coast News reported.
Online records show that Woods was being held in custody on Sunday on charges of armed traffic of methamphetamine, armed traffic of cocaine, armed possession of a controlled substance, resisting an officer with violence, and violation of probation, among other charges.
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, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Indiana traffic stop footage:Indianapolis police release video of officer fatally shooting Black man after traffic stop
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.
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.
WHY DO SOME POLICE LIE?Video contradicting official narrative is 'common,' experts say
Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
veryGood! (1881)
Related
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Kevin Bacon dances back to ‘Footloose’ high school
- Cryptocurrencies Available on Qschaincoin
- Celebrity handbag designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
- Southern California rocked by series of earthquakes: Is a bigger one brewing?
- Once a fringe Indian ideology, Hindu nationalism is now mainstream, thanks to Modi’s decade in power
- Pregnant Jenna Dewan Draws Style Inspiration From Taylor Swift's TTPD Album Aesthetic
- Dominic West Details How Wife Catherine FitzGerald Was Affected by Lily James Drama
- Beware of giant spiders: Thousands of tarantulas to emerge in 3 states for mating season
- 'Shōgun' finale: Release date, cast, where to watch and stream the last episode
Ranking
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- An explosion razes a home in Maryland, sending 1 person to the hospital
- Takeaways from the 2024 Olympic wrestling trials: 13 athletes punch tickets to Paris
- Dominic West Details How Wife Catherine FitzGerald Was Affected by Lily James Drama
- Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
- Shooting at Memphis block party leaves 2 dead and 6 injured
- With ugly start, the Houston Astros' AL dynasty is in danger. But they know 'how to fight back'
- Tram crash at Universal Studios Hollywood leaves over a dozen injured. What happened?
Recommendation
From bitter rivals to Olympic teammates, how Lebron and Steph Curry became friends
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Cuts in Front
Express files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, announces store closures, possible sale
In Wyoming, a Tribe and a City Pursue Clean Energy Funds Spurned by the Governor
Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
2024 NFL draft selections: Teams with most picks in this year's draft
No Black WNBA players have a signature shoe. Here's why that's a gigantic problem.
Coachella 2024 fashion: See the outfits of California's iconic music festival