FORT MEYERS, NY - August 12, 2020, According to an online news report published on news-press.com, a Lehigh Acres man's family is alleging the Lee County Sheriff's deputies used excessive force including kneeling on their loved one's face, and neck as the deputies arrested their loved one.
Lee County Sheriff's Office denies the allegations and stated that the arresting deputy never used their knee on the family member. The accusations levied against the Lee County Sheriff's Office follows many weeks of protest in Florida and throughout the country. The man arrested by the Lee County Sheriff's Office, a 32-year-old man, was being arrested last Thursday at around 2:30 p.m. at the Fort Myers probation office.
According to the 32-year-old man's arrest report, a Fort Myers probation officer talked with the Lee County Sheriff's Office detectives about arresting the man for a July parole violation. The parolee was arrested and is facing new charges. The parolee is charged with fleeing and eluding law enforcement officers with sirens activated, parole violation, resisting officers, and driving with a suspended license. The suspect was attempted to run from law enforcement at the parole office in Fort Myers, Florida.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office provided an official statement regarding the family's allegations of excessive force. In the Lee County Sheriff's Office statement, the statement says the allegations made by the suspect's family was "selfish" and that the allegations were a ploy to "attempt to foment unrest through false and malicious allegations against good law enforcement officers performing their duties properly and professionally."
The suspect's mother was at the scene of the incident. She stated that her son became very nervous when he was being arrested and handcuffed, and her son ran away after being handcuffed. The Lee County Sheriff's deputies shot Tasers at the suspect, who then fell to the ground and struck his head on a wall, according to the mother of the suspect. She stated that her son was knocked unconscious while the Lee County Sheriff's deputies were on top of her son as they continued with her son's arrest.
The suspect's girlfriend was also at the parole office, and she stated that one of the Lee County Sheriff's deputies placed his knee on her boyfriend's face and his neck while her boyfriend was unconscious. She stated that she was screaming at the Sheriff's deputies to "get off of his neck." The suspect's girlfriend stated that she knew her boyfriend was unconscious the moment his head struck the brick wall. The suspect sustained an eye injury, and the man's face began to swell after he was placed under arrest. The woman also stated that the Lee County Sheriff's deputies took money out of the man's pockets.
The suspect's uncle stated that their family was getting a lawyer to investigate the arrest incident and to take legal action against the Lee County Sheriff's office. According to State parole and probation officers, the suspect's criminal record and physical size made the Lee County Sheriff's fear that the suspect would resist arrest.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office stated that they have video and photo evidence that will confirm the detectives exercised reasonable and proper force to overcome the suspect's resistance to arrest.