A man sues Florida police officers, saying he was brutally beaten during a traffic stop, leading to a viral video.

JACKSONVILLE, FL. A Florida man who was brutally beaten by Jacksonville Sheriff’s officers during… viral video Last year, he filed a federal lawsuit Thursday alleging officers brutally violated his rights.

Lawyers Le’Keyan WoodsWoods, 25, said in the lawsuit that Woods suffered a traumatic brain injury, a ruptured kidney, nerve damage and other injuries as a result of the September 2023 arrest that led to misdemeanor conviction for resisting police without violence. The incident was captured on video by a bystander, which shows Woods handcuffed, with swollen eyes and a bloody face.

“None of this was justified,” attorney Harry Daniels said of the police actions, which included punching, kneeing and elbowing Woods after he ran from a police stop and was hit with a Taser.

Joining his lawyers at a news conference Thursday, Woods said he fled because he feared he would be shot during the traffic stop. He said he doesn’t regret his decision that day. Police reports at the time indicated that Woods had been beaten. at least 17 times.

lawsuit did not report any wrongdoing by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, only individual officers. The lawsuit alleges that the officers – Josue GarrigaHunter Sullivan, Trey McCullough and Beau Daigle all used excessive force against Woods.

The suit also adds a separate claim against Sullivan and Daigle for pointing guns at the car’s occupants during the stop, and a third claim against Sullivan alleging the officer slammed Woods’ face into the ground after Woods was handcuffed. Officers could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

The incident sparked local and national outrage after the video went viral on social media. In the weeks following the incident, a Jacksonville social justice organization and Woods’ family rallied to condemn the officers’ actions and call for an end to police brutality, according to media reports. First Coast News.

Complaints about the arrest briefly reached US Department of Justicewhich said it was “monitoring” the case. But in November 2023, the department stopped the review, saying “the incident does not warrant criminal prosecution for violations of federal civil rights laws.”

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What happened to Le’Keyan Woods?

Video taken by a witness showed officers taking Woods into custody following a traffic stop where at least three officers were seen forcibly restraining Woods on the grass near the vehicle. Daniels said officers beat Woods after he was pulled over for an alleged seat belt violation.

Officers claimed they saw Woods participating in a drug deal at a gas station and believed he was armed, according to the arrest report and body camera footage. They attempted to initiate a traffic stop but instead followed Woods and his two friends, who were in a pickup truck, to a dead-end driveway at an apartment complex.

According to the report, Daigle and Sullivan attempted to carry out a “high-risk attack” at the location. As Daigle gave commands to the passengers, Woods fled from the front passenger seat through the apartment complex, the report said.

Sullivan then chased Woods and used a stun gun, the report said. Three officers – Sullivan, Garriga and McCullough – repeatedly kneed Woods while trying to handcuff him.

Days after Woods’ arrest, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it believed officers “acted appropriately” in response to the incident. Woods was initially charged with felonies including armed trafficking of amphetamine and cocaine.

But these accusations were later fell after his lawyer argued that Woods was only a passenger in the truck and could not be involved in drugs. He pleaded guilty to resisting arrest without violence and was sentenced to nine days in jail.

Contributing Writer: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared in the Florida Times-Union: Le’Keyan Woods, beaten in viral arrest video, sues Florida officers