Attorneys of Le’Keian Woods condemn excess use of force by Jacksonville Sheriff Officers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Attorneys representing Le’Keian Woods, the 24-year-old man subjected to a violent encounter with officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), issued a scathing statement following Woods’ plea to a misdemeanor charge of Resisting an Officer Without Violence earlier today.

READ: Le’Keian Woods: Man whose arrest sparked use of force concerns pleads guilty to resisting an officer

In response to the plea, which was based on Woods fleeing from police but offering no violence before or during his arrest, all other charges against him were dropped by the State Attorney’s Office.

The incident, captured on video and circulated widely on social media, depicts uniformed and plainclothes officers from the JSO Gang Unit repeatedly assaulting Woods.

The altercation, which unfolded on September 29, involved officers striking Woods and slamming his head into the ground even after he was handcuffed, following a reported seatbelt violation stop.

The footage drew national outrage, with condemnation from organizations such as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Comparisons were drawn to the 2019 killing of 22-year-old Jamee Johnson, who was also pulled over for a seatbelt violation before being fatally shot by JSO officer Josue Garriga.

Garriga, implicated in both incidents, is currently facing prosecution by state and federal authorities for alleged criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

Represented by prominent Civil Rights attorneys Harry Daniels and John Burris, Woods’ legal team released a statement addressing the plea:

“Today’s plea can be boiled down to two words: Without Violence. That means these officers brutally beat Le’Keian Woods in the middle of the street despite the fact that he was unarmed and offered no violence. It means they tased him twice, drove their fists and knees into his head and body again and again and slammed his head into the ground even after he was handcuffed despite the fact that he was unarmed and offered no violence. It means that they left him with a swollen face, a ruptured kidney, a closed head injury and more despite the fact that he was unarmed and offered no violence.”

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