JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Calls are growing to release bodycam video after 30-year-old Dejuane Hayden was shot and killed by an officer in the Arlington area Thursday.
Neal Jefferson is with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, a local group known for being vocal and speaking out against injustice in the community. They're calling on transparency from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office after the death of Dejuane Hayden.
"It’s absolutely heartbreaking this is something we see far too often, and it feels like the type of thing we should be trying to avoid in Jacksonville," he said.
According to JSO Chief Alan Parker, Thursday around 4 p.m., officers were surveying the 2900 Justina Road, watching three men, one of those men being Hayden.
Police said the men were flashing guns back and forth and doing a drug deal.
When police approached the men, officers said two of them complied, but they had to chase Hayden who they said was carrying a gun. According to JSO, the officer yelled "gun, gun, gun," before shooting Hayden four times.
He later died from his injuries at the hospital.
However, since this shooting, a viral video has started circulating on Facebook, with already 1,800 shares and comments from the public, claiming a different story.
"If that is not an accurate portrayal of events that thousands of people have seen online, then they should go ahead and tell their side of the story and release the body cam footage," said Jefferson.
A change.org petition was started Friday morning and already it's received over 1,000 signatures and comments asking for full transparency and accountability.
"We should be able to receive transparency from our police department that’s part of community trust that’s apart of making sure there’s a strong sense of communication between JSO and the community," said Jefferson.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is aware of the video circulating online. They released this statement Friday:
"The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the officer-involved shooting that occurred yesterday off Justina Road. Since he took office, Sheriff Waters has been committed to being transparent with the community, including releasing body worn camera footage of critical incidents within 21 days. The Sheriff remains committed to releasing the footage in this investigation as well. The Sheriff’s Office is also aware of video circulating on social media that was recorded near the scene of the shooting. The public should be aware that this video was not recorded where the shooting actually occurred and does not capture the events that led to the officer’s use of force."