A Black man was seen in a viral video handcuffed with swollen eyes and a bloody face after an encounter with police officers in northeast Florida, the latest case involving the use of force by law enforcement after a traffic stop. The video, captured by a bystander on Friday, showed officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office taking Le'Keian Woods, 24, into custody after a traffic stop. At least three officers were seen on the video forcefully holding Woods chest-down on grass near a car. The incident prompted local and national outrage after the video spread on social media. The family of Woods hired civil rights attorney Harry Daniels "to fight for justice" in the incident, reports USA Today.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said the agency was reviewing what happened to determine if the officers violated any agency policies. Waters added that the department cannot comment any further on the case until the investigation is completed. Waters said his "agency takes all allegations of inappropriate use of force by JSO officers seriously." Studies have shown racial disparities in policing and experts have said Black people are disproportionately stopped or searched by law enforcement. According to Daniels and Woods' family, Woods was pulled over for a seat belt violation on Friday when he was "beaten by multiple" Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officers. Woods' family said there wasn't a warrant for Woods' arrest but he is on probation. The family alleged that the officers were holding Woods down with their knees and punched him. Daniels said Woods was taken to a hospital for treatment of a severe concussion. "If this video of the officers repeatedly assaulting Le'Keian, slamming his head in the ground and tossing him around like a ragdoll while he's handcuffed and defenseless isn't enough to convince you that these officers need to be off the street, just look at Le'Keian's face," Daniels said. "He looks like he just went 12 rounds with a professional boxer."
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