TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to review the use of deadly force in the Dec. 14 officer-involved shooting of a former Florida A&M student during a traffic stop in Jacksonville.
The Tallahassee Democrat reports Fried’s written request to FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen came Friday as Johnson’s family, the Florida Legislative Black Caucus and others publicly demanded the investigation.
As a member of the Florida Cabinet, Fried oversees the FDLE with the governor, attorney general and the chief financial officer. She said some lawmakers have also called for state review of the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Many Florida law enforcement agencies automatically hand over investigations of officer-involved shootings to the FDLE. But the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office routinely handles its own investigations. The State Attorney’s Office also does its own review to determine if it was justifiable.
The Sheriff’s Office said two officers were on patrol in December. when they made a traffic stop. The Sheriff’s Office did not say why they pulled the car over, but the family said it was for a seat belt violation.
While talking to the driver - later identified as 22-year-old Johnson - one of the officers realized there was a handgun inside the vehicle, officials said.
The officer asked the driver to get out of the vehicle, and he complied. As the officer was escorting him back to his police car, the driver shoved the officer away and a struggle ensued, the agency said. During the struggle, Johnson allegedly jumped back in his car and hit the gas while the officer was hanging outside.
When the suspect stopped the car again and reached for his handgun, the officer fired his gun four times, authorities said, striking Johnson.
The officers wore body cameras, but the Sheriff’s Office didn’t release the video because of an ongoing investigation. It could not be reached for comment Friday on Fried’s request.
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