Florida Police Sued for Brutality After Black Man Beaten and Mauled by Dog During Wrongful Stop

In July 2022, Jamari Brooks exited a Florida doctor’s office when officers from the Jacksonville sheriff’s gang unit confronted him at gunpoint, despite his innocence. The 27-year-old Black man was subjected to extreme force; one officer pressed a foot onto Brooks' head while another dog attacked his arm without resistance. This abuse persisted for nearly a minute before authorities belatedly realized Brooks was not the person they sought. "Ain’t him," officer Josue Garriga, now incarcerated for sex crimes, acknowledged erroneously. The pursuit stemmed from their aim to detain a suspect named Jewell Hayes, yet Brooks’ vehicle, borrowed from a friend, had not been reported stolen. The lawsuit against the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office highlights a systematic pattern of excessive force targeting Black men, underscoring a critical issue in policing practices within the gang unit. This troubling episode raises significant concerns regarding systemic racism and procedural misconduct in law enforcement. (Photo: body camera)