The Associated Press
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - The deaths of two black men over a three-day period while they were in police custody will be investigated by federal authorities, officials said Thursday.
Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford said he decided to ask for federal assistance because the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People questioned the deaths, claiming they showed police were targeting blacks.
The sheriff said he didn’t agree with the assertion but felt it was important for federal agencies to investigate.
“This is not about bad police behavior, this is about excellence,” said Rutherford, who said he wanted to “let the sun shine in” on his department.
The Justice Department and the FBI will investigate the cases of Sammy Evans Jr., 49, who died last Friday after he was arrested for drinking in public, and Ezra Jones, 29, who died Sunday after being shot with pepper spray and placed in restraint.
An autopsy shows Evans died of a broken neck. The cause of Jones’ death has not been released.
A rookie officer in Evans’ death resigned Saturday, a day after Rutherford revealed internal affairs investigators determined the officer used excessive force on a handcuffed boy in September.
U.S. Attorney Paul Perez said his office often looks into alleged violations of civil rights and police brutality.