Feds to Investigate Florida Custody Deaths of 2 Black Men Killed by Cops
/The deaths of two people in police custody within the past week will be
investigated by federal authorities to determine if civil rights were
violated, officials said Thursday in a news conference with the
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, U.S. Attorney Paul Perez and the FBI.
Sheriff John Rutherford said he decided to ask for federal assistance
because the deaths of two men over a three-day period had been
questioned by the local branch of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People, who claimed police were targeting
blacks. The Justice Department and the FBI will investigate the
cases of Sammy Evans Jr., 49, who died Friday after he was arrested for
public drinking and Ezra Jones, 29, who died Dec. 5 after being shot
with pepper spray and put in restraints. An autopsy showed Evans died
of a broken neck. The cause of Jones' death has not been
released. [more] and [more]
