Attorney of man punched by police requests another internal affairs investigation

Security video shows possible police brutality

Security footage from Ethio food mart

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Demarcus Brown was taken into custody by police after he says he unknowingly walked into a drug raid at an Ethio food mart in northwest Jacksonville to check on his father. Brown' attorney, Rhonda Peoples-Waters wants more charges brought against the police officers for what happened to Brown's father.

Brown’s father was in the store buying a drink for himself and his son when the two of them just finished work. Brown rushed in to check on his father and was arrested and roughed up by police. 

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Peoples-Waters is pushing for a second internal affairs investigation by police and even more officers to be charged with a crime for how they treated Brown and his father during the drug raid. The attorney says her clients were totally innocent and not related to the raid.

Peoples-Waters says Brown’s charges of resisting arrest and trespassing should be dropped.

"We are requesting a separate internal affairs investigation as it relates to the slapping of the phone from the father and then pushing the father. That was done by an officer different from the officer that was striking the son," Peoples-Waters said. "So we’re asking for that investigation and we’re asking for battery charges to be brought against the officer."

Brown's case is now gaining national attention. 

"We’ve been contacted by New York Daily News and they’re very concerned about this, about the different camera angles of the beating," Peoples-Waters said.

Jacksonville’s undersheriff contacted News4Jax to point out a different angle of the video that shows Brown rushing into the store as, on the left side of the screen, an officer warns him to not go inside because there’s police activity.

Internal affairs is reviewing that as the possible reason why police took the action they did. Peoples-Waters says it doesn’t justify what happened in the store.

"He was not clear on what that officer was saying and exactly who he was talking to," said Peoples-Waters. "He was strictly focusing on his father and his father’s well-being. And we petition that even if that was the case, the actions that resulted were not appropriate."

Police have since opened up an internal affairs investigation on the incident, and the state attorney’s office has yet to tell News4Jax whether they’ll prosecute Brown.

The state attorney’s office stated this is still an active investigation and Brown’s charges of resisting arrest with violence and trespassing are still pending.


About the Author:

Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.