JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Warning: Footage in this story may be disturbing.
The day after Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters displayed a piece of body-worn camera footage from the arrest of Le'Keian Woods at a press conference, more complete footage of the incident has been released. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has now released the body-worn camera videos from all five officers who were on the scene.
Waters said releasing the shortened footage would provide "context" to the bloody arrest, which sparked outrage far beyond Jacksonville when observers posted videos of the incident Friday. In these videos, Woods could be seen with a swollen, bleeding face.
After Waters' press conference, his mother and attorney called for police to release all of the bodycam footage involved.
Woods was taken into custody after officers elbowed, punched and kneed him as they fought to handcuff him. He was taken to the hospital but is now in the Duval County Jail on charges of armed drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance and resisting an officer with violence.
His mugshot, released Monday, showed his eyes swollen shut and severe bruising on his face.
Videos showing beating, Woods' father approaching
Woods was arrested after a car he was riding in was stopped for a seatbelt violation. Waters said he was observed in a drug transaction before officers approached the car.
One of the videos, taken from the body-worn camera of Officer Hunter Sullivan, shows Woods running from the scene of the traffic scene as officers arrest the other passengers. He is heard yelling, "you're f**cked," after Woods as he runs. He tases Woods twice, and he goes down the second time. This is when he begins to use force to arrest him and other officers join in.
When he gets hit with the stun gun, he goes down. This is when Waters says he hit his face on the ground. When he rolls over, his face is bloody.
The officer continues to try to cuff Woods, telling him to put his hands behind his back.
The video shows the officer wearing the camera, as well as other officers who come to his aid, punching Woods.
In addition to Sullivan, two other officers were involved in the violent arrest. This includes Officer Josue Garriga, the officer who shot FAMU student Jamee Johnson in 2019 in Jacksonville. An attorney representing Woods pointed out Garriga's involvement after his arrest, saying the incident bore a "striking similarity" to Johnson's fatal shooting, which also began as a traffic stop. Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson ruled that Garriga acted lawfully in the Johnson case.
The videos show officers punching, elbowing and kneeing Woods as they order him to put his hands behind his back. The police report said the kneeing was "inadvertent."
Woods' arrest report says after one officer was able to successfully handcuff Woods, "all force utilized immediately stopped." The report says that he tried to resist, but officers maintained control with "no force applied." However, the footage shows an officer slammed Woods to the ground after he is cuffed.
These videos also show police interacting with Woods' father, who uses a wheelchair, as he approached officers during the arrest. He begs to see his son, but officers continuously tell him to leave, even threatening to arrest him. An officer can be seen taking the wheelchair by the handles to push Woods' father away.
Police search car Le'Keian Woods was in
A video taken by Officer Robert Bias shows the other passengers of the car in handcuffs. Bias searches the car, recovering drugs, including a baggie he notes is cocaine. He also pulls out several items including what appears to be a letter and several childrens' toys.
A video from Officer Beau Daigle shows him dealing with the other two arrests. He also searched the car.
Woods' next court date is scheduled for Oct. 24, 2023.
The officers involved in this case are all currently working. While the case is under investigation, Waters said he believes they acted properly.