JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The family of a Jacksonville food truck owner is heartbroken and demanding answers after he died following an incident inside the Duval County Jail.
That’s coming from an attorney representing the family, who said Thursday, “Today, at 2:11 p.m., Charles Faggart was pronounced deceased. But Charles has been brain dead since Monday.”
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has said releasing more information would compromise the ongoing criminal investigation into the incident, which led to the removal of nine corrections employees.
As his family waits for answers, friends are now mourning his death.
Related: Former girlfriend of dead Duval County Jail inmate calls for justice as investigation continues
Pictures show Charles Faggart the way food truck friends remember him.
“I would say we were all buddies in the food truck industry. We’d do anything for each other,” said friend Leah Smith.
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Leah Smith and Stevon Davis choked back emotion, saying they had no idea their friend was brain-dead for days before he passed away Thursday afternoon.
“It’s coming from hurt, pain, from the throat, the heart, the gut. It’s just all messed up,” said Faggart’s friend Stevon Davis.
Action News Jax pressed JSO to find out if the 9 officers stripped of their authority in this case will be identified.
So far, they haven’t been named.
Related: Jacksonville officials and community leaders release statements on death of inmate, investigation
Defense attorney Chris Carson weighed in on whether the officers involved could be charged with manslaughter- or even murder- now that Faggart has died.
“Any time we’re talking about manslaughter, which is a homicide prosecution, when someone did something that was grossly negligent, those are sometimes what we see in these types of situations. Obviously, ultimately, it’s going to depend on the facts,” said Carson.
JSO released the below statement following Faggart’s death:
“Transparency is a priority for JSO. However, that priority does not supersede the agency’s commitment to maintain the integrity of criminal investigations. Once Sheriff Waters has answers, he will provide those answers to the Faggart family. Once the criminal case is completed, Sheriff Waters will share the details of this death investigation publicly.”
As the news of his death sinks in, friends are planning a way to honor Faggart.
Action News Jax received a statement from a local social justice group, the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville.
They put blame on the sheriff, saying in part “The taxpayers of Jacksonville again will surely be paying out millions in a settlement due to JSO’s actions. I reiterate that we must not only improve conditions in the jail and prevent further deaths, but also reduce the need for people to be in jail in the first place.”
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