by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
Le’Keian Woods has filed a lawsuit against the 4 police officers who were seen on video beating him last October
A Florida man who was severely beaten by Jacksonville police officers last year filed a federal lawsuit against the officers on Oct. 31.
He spoke at a press conference announcing the lawsuit against the officers. The suit was filed at the Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse in Jacksonville.
“I was stopped at a traffic stop, and I ran. I got kind of scared; I knew they was going to shoot me. I panicked and I ran,” Woods said.
Woods’ attorney, Harry Daniels, gave the names of the Florida police officers involved in the lawsuit: Beau Daigle, Trey McCullough, Hunter Sullivan, and former Detective Josue Garriga. The four men are accused of using excessive force. According to the lawsuit, the officers violated Woods’ Fourth Amendment right after pulling Woods over for “an alleged seatbelt violation” and brutally beat Woods after he fled.
Woods is still receiving medical care from the beating and suffers from myriad mental health symptoms, according to WTLV.
Police officers claim that Woods was involved in a drug transaction before they pulled him over. He allegedly took off running when they were handcuffing two other people at the traffic stop. Authorities alleged that the video created “the illusion of an inappropriate use of force.” Last year, Sheriff T.K. Waters said, “Just because force is ugly does not mean it is unlawful or contrary to policy.”
Video footage showed officers running after Woods through a yard, a parking lot, and then a grassy area before using a stun gun on him. After Woods fell on the street, the police officers were seen hitting him in the face, bloodying his jaw, and kneeing him in the head as they screamed at him to put his hands behind his back.
Woods pleaded guilty to misdemeanor resisting police without violence, and the other charges against him, armed trafficking in cocaine, armed possession of a controlled substance, armed trafficking in amphetamine, and tampering with evidence, were dropped as part of a plea deal, according to the Florida Times-Union.
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Source: Black Enterprise
