JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Wednesday, First Coast News Crime Anaylst Mark Baughman weighed in on body camera footage showing the forceful arrest of a 24-year-old Jacksonville man.
Le’Keian Woods was arrested Friday after he ran from police following a traffic stop. A police report describes Woods’ as violently resisting arrest, with officers striking Woods’ at least 17 times in the ribs, shoulder and face.
The beating captured on body-worn camera footage and the Le'Keian Wood mugshot both raised questions and concerns about this incident. Woods’ family has called the strikes excessive and released a statement calling the arrest a "merciless beating from the equivalent of a brutal street gang."
However, after watching the officer's body worn camera footage, Baughman believes the strikes are consistent with law enforcement techniques used to subdue a resisting suspect.
Baughman, a former law enforcement officer, says officers are trained to aim for soft tissue areas if they must use force on a suspect. Baughman pointed out that officers gave repeated commands for Woods to put his hands behind his back and that according to the report, they suspected Woods to be armed.
“It’s caught up in this area and probably in the shoulder area, they’re trying to control the head…They’re not stepping out of policy in procedure in what they’re doing in trying to get him to neutralize him as a threat and handcuff him," Baughman said.
Woods’ mom, Natassia Woods has continued to call the use of force unjustified. Her full statement is at the bottom of this story.
At that press conference an attorney representing Woods says he was already subdued from the taser, so officers had no reason to continue using force.
“So deadly force is not warranted, when you just try to put handcuffs on somebody. Deadly force is warranted when the person that's trying to use deadly force against you. And clearly from the video that didn't happen," Harry Daniels, a civil rights attorney said.
Woods is currently being held on charges of armed drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance, resisting an officer with violence and violation of probation, among other charges.
The arrest is under investigation, the sheriff saying at this time JSO believes the officers acted appropriately.
Natassia Woods full statement is follows:
"The Jacksonville Sheriffs officer, led by Sheriff T.K. Waters in an effort to avoid responsibility for the brutal beating executed by members of the Gang Unit of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, has chosen to put the victim, my son, on trial as opposed to holding his officers accountable. These officers are clearly seen on video mercilessly beating, kneeing in the face, punching in the face, a man who has already been subdued and is in handcuffs. Le'Keian is Clearly incoherent and NOT violently resisting as he has alleged. While Sheriff T K Waters felt it appropriate to bring up my sons history and put the victim on trial and share his past offenses, for which he has not been convicted or formally charged, neglected to share the history of one of the officers involved in this miscarriage of justice, Officer Josue Garrigas. Officer Garrigas not only has a history of unjustified deadly force, but has been accused by his FELLOW JSO Officers of racism AND MISCONDUCT. So even if you don’t believe me, believe complaints and allegations brought forth by officers of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s office that have accused him of racism and misconduct. He is also connected to and responsible for the death of another 2 unarmed black men, one being a 19 year old FAMU student, Jamee Johnson, who ironically was stopped by Officer Garrigas for a seatbelt violation, like my son, and ended up dead. Make no mistake, today it is my son, tomorrow it will be yours if we allow this to be swept under the rug. This brutality has got to be addressed and dealt with. SOMEONE will be held accountable. I have never portrayed my son to be an angel, however when the officers that we rely on, become the equivalent of a brutal street gang, justice is not served." - Natassia Woods