JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The family of a man arrested and beaten by JSO officers rallied outside city council Tuesday night and addressed council members inside chambers, speaking out against police brutality.
Le’Keian Woods was arrested August 29th after he ran from police following a traffic stop. During the arrest, Woods was struck by officers at least 17 times in the face and body.
Natassia Woods said Tuesday her son is still in pain, with bruises and swelling along his face.
“I just want justice for my son. I want the officers held accountable," Natassia Woods, Woods' mother, said.
Body camera footage shows Woods’ arrest. Officers tased Woods twice and hit him at least 17 times in the ribs, shoulder and face. Woods’ is described as violently resisting arrest and at the time officers thought he was armed. A gun was not on Woods at the time he was arrested, but police found a weapon in the truck he was in.
Woods’ family believes after he was tased, he was not resisting.
"In the process of him being tased, he still was trying to give the officers his arm. They saw that he was not resisting. They used extreme deadly force on my son," Woods, said.
Attorney for Woods’ also believe the officers treated Woods violently due to his past. Woods was on felony probation at the time of his arrest and was previously charged with second-degree murder after his roommate was shot during a drug robbery in Tallahassee. However, Woods pleaded down to robbery charges and was never tried for murder.
The use force during arrest is under investigation. Sheriff TK Waters said during a press conference in the days after the arrest that at this time JSO believes the officers acted appropriately and the officers were back to work following the arrest.
Woods and her attorneys are asking for the officers to be fired and for the gang task force to be dissolved.
“JSO needs to re-examine their use of force policy. Anything that gives justification for officers kneeing an individual in the head several times in order to gain compliance, the use of deadly force when someone poses no threat needs to be re-examined," Broderick Taylor, an attorney representing the family, said.
Woods also spoke at Tuesday's city council meeting asking for help with addressing her son's health and confinement inside the jail.
"He was brutally beaten last week and he hasn't been able to get any medical treatment within JSO custody. They have him in solitary confinement for 23 hours out the day, it's hard right now, he's my only child." Woods said at Tuesday's city council meeting. "He's not doing real. So, I'm trying to see if I can get some help from congress or city council or anybody who can help me get justice for my son."
After addressing council, city council president Rob Salem invited Woods to a private meeting with councilman Jimmy Peluso.
We reached out for an update Tuesday into the investigation, but JSO cannot comment due to the pending litigation.
Woods’ attorneys have asked the Department of Justice to investigate the arrest.