ORANGE PARK, Fla. — Civil rights attorney Ben Crump on Monday alongside several attorneys are demanding transparency after a man, 48-year-old Morris Davis was shot and killed by a Clay County deputy.
It happened on May 9 in Oakleaf Plantation while deputies were helping with a DCF investigation.
In the press conference at New Hope Pentecostal Ministries, Crump says his goal is to get answers about the circumstances that led up to the shooting.
“Truth, transparency and accountability to lead to justice,” Crump said.
Several times, he references a video recorded by neighbors.
“Don’t say no more, just watch the video. And thank God there was a video,” Crump said.
The video shows the moments that led up to that shooting. You can see Davis lying on the ground with objects in his hand before Clay County Sheriff deputies shot him several times. The Sherriff’s office says he had an outstanding warrant for murder in Mississippi and he armed himself with knives.
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The family said in the press conference, there is no warrant.
They say he was cleared twice by the Department of Children and Families to get custody of his grandchildren that day.
“Clay County, children services said he was good, they had left,” Crump said.
“We called the police department, we talked to the sheriff of the police department, we called the bail bondsmen. Nobody, nobody had a warrant for his arrest. They couldn’t find no warrant,” said Katina Hicks, Davis’s sister.
The family says Davis was more than 500 pounds, disabled and a threat to no one but himself that day before he was shot.
“This was excessive force,” said Crump.
New Hope Pentecostal Ministries was filled with emotion and dozens of people with a similar plea for justice.
Action News Jax reached out to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office today for comment on this plea for answers. They sent back this statement:
“The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, in conjunction with the State Attorney’s Office, is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting and circumstances. CCSO will conduct a formal review of the use of force incident upon conclusion of the independent investigations by FDLE and SAO.”
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