JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax heard from the pregnant former girlfriend of a Duval County Jail inmate who died from injuries sustained in custody.
Charles Faggart’s death Thursday afternoon followed an incident within the jail on Monday, which had put him in critical condition.
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Few details have been revealed about the incident, which also led to nine corrections employees with the Jacksonville Sherif’s Office being removed from their positions and stripped of their corrections authority.
Action News Jax Madison Foglio spoke exclusively with Faggart’s ex-girlfriend Savannah Storie to learn more about him.
Storie said she was in the hospital for issues concerning her pregnancy with the two’s unborn child when she got a call she could never have expected.
“I had received a call from the jail and an inmate told me that there had been an incident that occurred,” said Storie. “As far as I know, he was beaten so badly that the family said that he was unrecognizable.”
According to Storie, she and Charles had been dating since October 2023.
Storie told Action News Jax that Charles had some demons and was battling addiction issues. Storie said, on April 1st, she called the police on Charles because he allegedly threatened to kill her, but she claims he was not in the right state of mind due to his addiction.
“He should have been in detox or in a psych hold rather than beaten to death,” said Storie. “That is not a solution.”
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Now, Storie wants justice.
“I’m devastated. I loved him so much and I only wanted him to get help. I never meant for this to happen. I didn’t want him to get hurt. And I feel so guilty,” said Storie.
“They abused their position of power, and they took an innocent life of a father, and a pillar of this community in the service industry,” said Storie. “Someone who made a difference in so many people’s lives and he touched so many lives. And now he’s gone.”
On Tuesday, Sheriff TK Waters said the officers’ removal was done out of “an abundance of caution.” However, Storie thinks there’s more to it and is demanding accountability.
“It is reprehensible, and they should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Storie. “I believe that the Sheriff himself should be held accountable. I believe the entire department, the JSO as a whole, should be held accountable and I am glad that the FBI is being called upon to investigate this because it is an injustice.”
Related: ‘Deeper and bigger problems’: Inmate safety at Duval County Jail under question after injury
Storie told Action News Jax that she and Faggart’s baby is due in December.
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