Jacksonville group raises concerns about fatal police shootings

A community group is raising concerns about a police shooting Thursday night that killed a 30-year-old man in Arlington.

Police said they approached a group of men who were “waving weapons back and forth” and engaging in drug-related activities.

One of the three men fled and was shot when he pulled out a gun, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said. The man, Dejuane Hayden, later died at a hospital.

There was excitement on social media about the shooting after portions of the encounter with Hayden were livestreamed on Faceback. The three-minute video begins with three men having fun and listening to Kendrick Lamar’s music Not like us. It ends with shots.

Shooting, outrage

More than 800 people have signed an online petition calling for unedited police body camera footage of the episode to be released.

The Jacksonville Community Action Committee also reviewed the video and was outraged by the initial response from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. The civil rights and advocacy group has repeatedly called for accountability and the release of videos, documents and information from law enforcement when they use force against residents.

“The community is outraged and is calling for the immediate release of body camera footage. Many witnessed the incident on Facebook Live and heard the shots fired by officers within seconds of arriving on the scene,” the group wrote in a statement. “When the victim’s brother told officers, ‘You shot my brother,’ one responded, ‘I don’t care what we did.'”

Statement from the Sheriff’s Office

According to the sheriff’s office, the shooting by Officer Bradley Griffitts remains under investigation. The department promised to release body camera footage by the end of October.

The social media video is not a complete account of what happened, the sheriff’s office said. “The public should be aware that this video was not recorded at the scene of the actual shooting and does not capture the events leading up to the officer’s use of force,” the statement said.

This is the second time Griffitts has been placed on leave for shooting someone during his six years with the agency.

In May 2020, Griffitts was one of six Jacksonville officers who shot and killed Felipe Pereira following a domestic disturbance in Fort Caroline. Pereira had reportedly argued with his girlfriend and fired a gun into a sofa before the sheriff’s office was called.

In July 2021, District Attorney Melissa Nelson’s office concluded that the shooting was justified and did not file charges.

Prosecutors are also investigating the recent Griffitts shooting.

Hayden has been arrested nine times in Duval County since 2012. In November 2012, he pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed firearm and possession of cocaine.