Attorneys for Man Beaten by Police Seek Federal Investigation Citing Severe Injuries

Lawyers representing a man apprehended for drug-related suspicions, who endured multiple punches, elbows, and knee strikes from law enforcement officers in Northeast Florida during a vehicular stop, announced on Tuesday their intent to request an inquiry by the U.S. Department of Justice into the incident.

Le’Keian Woods is now contending with a lacerated kidney, frequent vomiting upon eating, and migraine headaches subsequent to last Friday’s altercation, his legal team disclosed during a press briefing at the headquarters of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Post-arrest photographs depict Woods with eyes swollen shut, along with bruises and lacerations on his face.

“His condition is one of acute agony,” said Attorney Marwan Porter. “His suffering is palpable.”

Porter compared the conduct of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office personnel to a form of assault akin to an Ultimate Fighting Championship “ground and pound” executed by trained professionals.

Sheriff T.K. Waters defended his officers on Monday, asserting their actions were warranted due to Woods’ apparent resistance to arrest after being immobilized by a stun gun and subsequently restrained. Waters and Assistant Chief Mike Shell noted during a press briefing that Woods had a prior accusation of murder, was under probation for an armed robbery charge, and had links to both firearms and drug trafficking.

In response, Woods’ lawyers argued that their client’s criminal history has no bearing on the events of last Friday. “The prevailing culture in Jacksonville, in Duval County, is not an isolated issue of a single officer. Rather, it’s akin to a ‘bad apple orchard,'” stated Attorney Harry Daniels.

Body cam footage reveals Jacksonville officers intercepting a Dodge Ram pickup truck in an apartment complex parking lot. Shell stated that this interception followed a drug transaction Woods had recently completed. Upon stopping the vehicle, officers found cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and a firearm.

The footage further displays Woods exiting the passenger seat and running into an apartment complex. Daniels contended that his client was within his rights to leave the scene, given there was no probable cause of a committed crime and that the vehicle was stopped for a seatbelt violation.

In the video, officers use a Taser stun gun on Woods after he fails to comply with demands to lie on the ground. Subsequent to this, officers are seen engaging in physical altercation with Woods, claiming fears that he was attempting to access a weapon.

Arrest documents released on Monday indicate that Woods was struck repeatedly in the head and ribcage, and elbowed in the face by officers. After approximately two minutes, Woods was handcuffed. Additional footage shows officers slamming Woods to the ground again, accusing him of further resistance.

Woods is currently under probation, having entered a plea of no contest to a 2017 robbery in Tallahassee, Florida. Public records also indicate that in 2019, Officer Garriga was involved in a fatal shooting over a seatbelt violation. The shooting was deemed justified by prosecutors, and a subsequent lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount. Harry Daniels served as the attorney for the deceased man’s family.

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• U.S. Department of Justice Investigation Procedures
• Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Official Statements
• Laws on Police Use of Force in Florida
• Prior Incidents involving Jacksonville Police Officers
• Legal Aspects of Probable Cause in Traffic Stops