JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Le'Keian Woods, the man at the center of a viral Jacksonville arrest video that shows him being beaten by police with a bloody, swollen face, has been taken to the Leon County Jail on an "outstanding warrant" for violating his probation, according to an arrest affidavit.
Woods, 24, is being held in custody in Tallahassee on a robbery by sudden snatching charge in a previous, unrelated case with no bond set. Woods was on felony probation at the time of his Jacksonville 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.
On Tuesday night, the family of Woods, rallied outside Jacksonville City Council and addressed council members inside chambers, speaking out against police brutality.
Woods was arrested on Sept. 29 in Jacksonville 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.
Woods' mother, Natassia Woods said Tuesday that her son is still in pain, with bruises and swelling along his face.
“I just want justice for my son," Natassia Woods said. "I want the officers held accountable."
Body camera footage from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office shows Woods’ arrest. Officers tased Woods twice and hit him at least 17 times in the ribs, shoulder and face. Police say Woods was 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.
The attorney for Natassia Woods also believes the officers treated Woods violently due to his past.
The use force during Woods' arrest is under investigation. Sheriff T.K. Waters said during a Tuesday press conference that in the days after the arrest, JSO believed the officers involved, acted appropriately and were back to work following the arrest.
Natassia Woods and her attorneys are asking for the officers to be fired and for the JSO 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.
Natassia Woods also spoke at Tuesday's city council meeting, asking for help with addressing her son's health and confinement inside the Duval County Jail.
"He was brutally beaten last week and he hasn't been able to get any medical treatment within JSO custody," Woods said. "They have him in solitary confinement for 23 hours out [of] the day, it's hard right now, he's my only child. He's not doing [well]. 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 city council, City Council President Rob Salem invited Natassia Woods to a private meeting with councilman Jimmy Peluso.
First Coast News reached out for an update Tuesday into the investigation, but JSO cannot comment due to the pending litigation.
Natassia Woods’ attorneys have asked the Department of Justice to investigate the arrest.
