Photos: YouTube Screenshots
Calls for justice filled Bay Street Sunday afternoon as dozens of people rallied on the steps of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office headquarters after a video went viral showing the arrest of 24-year-old Le’Keian Woods.
Woods’ arrest on Friday was caught on video by a bystander showing multiple officers standing and kneeling over him. At one point, an officer picks Woods up and slams him onto the grass.
Moments later, officers lifted Woods up, revealing bruises and blood across his face. Woods’ family accused the officers of punching him during the incident, causing his facial injuries, although this isn’t shown in the arrest video.
The family told First Coast Newsthat Woods, his uncle and his friend were pulled over for not wearing their seatbelts as they were on their way to Woods’ grandmother’s house.
The Sheriff’s Office says the incident is under administrative review.
USA TODAY noted the incident is the latest case of alleged police brutality, where encounters with police over traffic violations have turned violent or even fatal. Recent studies have shown racial disparities in policing and experts have said Black people are disproportionately stopped or searched by law enforcement across the country.
During a rally Sunday afternoon, Woods’ mother, Natassia Woods, spoke to the crowd describing how hard it’s been to get an update on her son’s condition. She told First Coast News her son’s attorney, Harry Daniels, told her that Woods was going to and from the hospital to be treated for a concussion.
“I’m at a point now that I just want answers for my son,” Woods told the crowd. “I want justice for my son. No one should be beaten like that.”
