Tue Dec 21, 7:00 PM ET
Florida Sen. Tony Hill and members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (news - web sites) are creating a commission to look into the deaths of two Jacksonville men who died while in police custody.
The commission will be permanent, but its first investigation will be into the two deaths. It will generally examine local and state policies governing the use of deadly force by police.
"The citizens are crying out to have some input," said Hill. "That's what we're going to do."
The growing concern over police procedures began when 49-year-old Sammy Evans Jr. died after his arrest in December. Police said the Jacksonville man was drinking alcohol in the street as he spoke with friends near his home.
Evans then died at Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center about an hour after he collapsed during the arrest. Reports said he had a broken neck.
The arresting officer, Kaleb Underwood, resigned because of an internal affairs investigation into a previous allegation of excessive force.
Another African-American man, 29-year-old Ezra Jones, died two days later while in police custody. Police said he was being "combative" and put him in a restraining chair, where he died less than an hour later. The cause of his death has not yet been determined.
"Clearly there is a pattern here and we need to deal with that pattern," Hill said.
Sheriff John Rutherford called for federal agencies to become involved in the investigation into these deaths. FBI (news - web sites) officials said in such instances when civil rights might be threatened, a federal investigation is automatic.
Following the deaths, more than 100 people attended a meeting at Central Baptist Church in Springfield to tell of their encounters with police. Speaker after speaker said there is a pattern of excessive force.
As for the commission, officials said its objective is two-fold.
"What we're trying to do is ensure better protection for our citizens in this community," explained Wade Rolle, who heads the new commission.
Rolle said the commission would also help police to work better with the public by preventing citizens from viewing them as "pariahs."
The group's first meeting is scheduled for Dec. 27. They will then make recommendations to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office following their investigation.
Casey Black is gathering more information on this story and will have a written statement from Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford addressed to Hill, the NAACP and religious leaders on Channel 4 news beginning at 5 p.m. |