JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The attorney for the family of a Jacksonville woman killed in an officer-involved shooting says new findings show she was shot in the back. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump represents the family of 22-year-old Asia Bennett, who was killed last month after a domestic violence call.
Crump held a news conference Friday in Jacksonville, where he shared photos and details from an embalmer report. He said the report shows Bennett was shot in her back from the side.
“The kill shot was shot in Asia Bennett’s back,” Crump said.
Crump says Bennett was on her hands and knees when she was shot the second time.
“It was shot from a downward trajectory where the bullet entered from the side in her back. The bullet entered midway up her back and exited from the right side,” Crump said.
Last month, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released a statement and partial body camera video of the shooting. JSO said after the first shot, Bennett tried to get up with the knife, and the officer fired a second shot. The agency said Bennett then let go of the knife and officers were able to handcuff her.
Crump said the second shot was not justified. He described what he believes happened based on the embalmer’s findings.
“The bullet enters her mid-back and comes out on her side,” Crump said.
In an interview one day before Crump’s new claims, Action News Jax asked Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters whether more steps to de-escalate the situation by the officer could have happened before gunfire.
“I think she did what she was supposed to do. I think she asked her to drop it, went through the steps, talked to her,” Waters said.
Action News Jax reached back out to JSO Friday to ask about Crump’s claims and whether more details about Bennett’s gunshot wounds will be released. JSO said it has shared as much information as legally possible without jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation and will not comment further because of pending litigation.
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