JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local attorney is suing the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for not providing body camera footage after he made a public records request months ago.
“There is no excuses right now for JSO to not provide us with the body camera footage,” said attorney Justin Drach.
Drach said he requested a video in the case involving a minor being transported under the Baker Act back in March.
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“The people in Duval County are entitled to their public records,” said Drach. “If JSO is hiding something, if they are understaffed, or if they are just not able to comply with the law, they need to make some changes.”
But he also wants body cam video stemming from a more recent case, that one involving Rashaud Martin, a schizophrenic man who died in the custody of JSO last month.
Martin was found unresponsive by officers outside of a mental health resources center.
Officers decided to Baker Act him following a domestic disturbance call at his mother’s home.
The police report lists that Martin had used drugs, and that officers administered multiple doses of Narcan, but it did not revive him.
However, his family said he was never a drug user, and the only medication he was on at the time of his arrest was for his schizophrenia diagnosis.
Action News Jax spoke with Martin’s family on Wednesday. They are left with many unanswered questions.
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“He didn’t deserve to go out like he did, just from a medical emergency,” said Lucretia Martin, Rashaud’s sister. “He was a good person.”
Drach is urging JSO to release the body camera footage.
It typically takes JSO longer than two weeks to release body camera footage when requested by the media.
Drach said he plans to file another lawsuit if he can’t get those records in Rashaud’s case.
“We are not going to accept this anymore,” said Drach.
Action News Jax reached out to JSO late Wednesday afternoon regarding the lawsuit and the request for the video.
As soon as we hear from them, we will update this story.
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