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BREAKING NEWS

JAMEE JOHNSON

Family sues JSO after 22-year-old son killed by officer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The family of a 22-year-old man shot and killed by a police officer is suing the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. However, Johnson’s family attorney disagrees and is suing Sheriff Mike Williams and Officer Josue Garriga, the officer who pulled the trigger. “His sworn testimony, versus the medical examiner’s report, versus the video, versus the eyewitness.”AdDaniels claims Johnson was not a threat and that Garriga’s testimony would’ve positioned Johnson to be shot right-to-left. Daniels said Jamee exited the vehicle with his hands raised above his head surrendering and the autopsy report show bullets struck him “left-to-right,” contradicting Garriga’s testimony. Now the Johnson family will wait to see if the federal court agrees or disagrees with their lawsuit.

Jamee Johnson’s family seeks legal action after police-involved shooting ruled justifiable

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A family is seeking legal action after a State Attorney’s Office investigation concluded a Jacksonville sheriff’s officer was justified in shooting Jamee Johnson during a traffic stop in 2019. The State Attorney’s Office released its investigation report on Monday, as well as body camera footage of the police-involved shooting. After he is pulled over, the video shows Johnson explaining he has a gun inside of a jacket in the car. Another officer’s body camera captured what happened next. “Looking at the body camera footage and looking at the state of Florida’s finding so far, but that’ doesn’t’ mean that it’s impossible.

Prosecutor: Jacksonville officer justified in 2019 deadly shooting of 22-year-old

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A State Attorney’s Office investigation concluded a Jacksonville sheriff’s officer was justified in shooting Jamee Johnson during a traffic stop in 2019. The State Attorney’s Office released its investigation report on Monday afternoon, as well as body camera footage of the police-involved shooting. According to the investigation report, Johnson was pulled over for driving without a seat belt. Toward the beginning of the body camera video, Garriga asks: “Why are you so nervous?” Johnson responds: “I’m not. “At the time Officer Garriga shot Johnson, he had a reasonable belief, under Florida law, that Johnson posed a deadly threat to him and his fellow officer,” the investigation report said.

Records: Longer, multistep review of officer-involved shootings leading to yearslong waits for answers

So, I was, like, ‘Well, show me the body video, body camera video.’ And he was, like, ‘No, you know, it’s an ongoing investigation,’” said Austin of her talks with the State Attorney’s Office. A News4Jax I-TEAM analysis of data from JSO’s Open Data page found, under Nelson, the State Attorney’s Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit is, on average, taking longer to review cases than the previous administration. Data show, under the previous state attorney, Angela Corey, on average, reports were released 226 days after the original incident. In a memo released Tuesday, the State Attorney’s Office admittedly said the process for handling officer-involved shootings changed when Nelson took office, specifically, it added more steps. The multiple levels of review that each OIS receives highlights the importance we attach to thorough, correct, and reliable opinions rendered in these cases,” stated the State Attorney’s Office memo.

State Attorney says bodycam video of 2019 Jacksonville police shooting to be released

“In addition to reviewing our current practices, we are also working to create a policy related to BWC footage during an (officer-involved shooting) investigation,” the memo states. “Recently, the public has demanded the immediate release of BWC footage, prior to the conclusion of an (officer-involved shooting) investigation,” the memo states. As a result, moving forward, the SAO will determine the public release of BWC footage in (officer-involved shooting) incidents.”That could mean body camera video is released months sooner than in the past. It’s good for the community to see, good for it to be reported properly.”JSO launched its body camera pilot program in Nov. 2018. If it does, it would be the first body camera in a police shooting that could be cleared for release.

Protests renew calls for justice for Northeast Florida families

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Family members of victims who have been part of the calls for justice in some of the marches and demonstrations happening across North Florida are speaking out again. The Jacksonville Community Action Committee has a few demands for state leaders, all with those families in mind. Some of the family members told News4Jax its been a long fight to try and get justice for their loved ones. Demonstrations in the past week have not only been about cases seen nationally but also whats happened across Northeast Florida. As it relates to officer-involved shootings, the State Attorneys Office has a distinct and independent role in these investigations.

Jacksonville activists call for the release of body camera footage for all police-involved shootings

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The recent protests in Jacksonville have sparked new discussions about Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office bodycam footage. Activists want footage from all Jacksonville police-involved shootings released immediately calling it an agreement that has been broken. Dennis plans to write a bill that could make it law to release JSO body camera footage if he doesn’t run into any legal roadblocks. If it does, it would be the first body camera in a police shooting that could be cleared for release. News4Jax asked Sheriff Mike Williams earlier this year about body camera footage, and Williams said the video is treated as evidence, and will eventually be released.

Fried seeks FDLE review of Jacksonville officer-involved shooting

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Friday requested that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement review the use of deadly force in the Jacksonville officer-involved shooting of Jamee Johnson last year. Johnson, a 22-year-old Florida A&M student, was shot and killed by a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office deputy during a traffic stop in Dec. 2019. The Sheriff’s Office said Johnson was reaching for his gun while Garriga was trying to gain control of him, while hanging onto the car. After that, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s Response to Resistance Board will begin an internal review. Legislators including State Rep. Ramon Alexander and Jacksonville District 14 Rep. Kimberly Daniels have also called for state review of the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Jacksonville family takes call for answers in officer-involved shooting to Tallahassee

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says Johnson was shot after officers pulled him over at East 21st and Buckman streets. "My family recent lost a 23-year-old and his murderer is still not caught," said Jacksonville District 14 Rep. Kimberly Daniels. "So, I understand what this family needs. This family needs truth, this family needs justice and this family needs closure." After that, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s Response to Resistance Board will begin an internal review.