Asia Bennett’s family questions officer’s account, demands unedited video of fatal JSO shooting

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The family of Asia Bennett and attorneys representing them are calling for the release of unedited body-camera video and a copy of the full autopsy for the 22-year-old, who was fatally shot by a Jacksonville police officer in August.

REPLAY: Press play above to see the entire news conference (WARNING: Video includes graphic images)

They say new details about Bennett’s wounds raise questions about the officer’s account of the fatal shooting.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released a critical incident briefing and body-camera video Aug. 26, 15 days after the shooting.

But nationally recognized civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Bennett’s family, said they believe what JSO released was edited and doesn’t show the whole picture.

Crump said photographs and observations documented while Bennett’s body was being prepared for burial indicate the second bullet fired at Bennett on Aug. 11 entered the side of her back and exited through her right side while she was on her hands and knees.

He described the second shot as a “kill shot” and said it was fired about eight seconds after the first.

“We believe it was criminal how she killed Asia Bennett,” Crump said, referring to the officer. “But the breaking news is that she was shot in the back while she was on her hands and knees.”

The family’s claims have not been independently verified. The full autopsy has not been released publicly.

JSO released the following statement in response to the family’s demand:

“JSO has publicly shared as much information as is legally possible without jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation, and we will not be commenting further given pending litigation.”

What JSO has said

According to the agency, the officer responded to a home on Westdale Drive near Pine Bluff Drive in Arlington after a report of suspected domestic battery.

JSO said Bennett was holding several items, including what the agency described as a “large butcher-style kitchen knife,” and refused repeated commands to drop it. The agency said Bennett moved toward the officer and was shot.

The video shows Bennett on the ground talking with officers. JSO said she then moved toward officers and was shot a second time. She died at a hospital.

Crump disputed the agency’s description, saying Bennett moved to the side after leaving the porch rather than toward the officer. He said she had dropped all but a cellphone and a knife she had been using to defend herself.

“The video speaks for itself,” Crump said. “We think the video shows differently.”

Civil rights attorney Chance Lynch said the question is whether Bennett posed an imminent threat when the second shot was fired.

“Imminent is defined as real, pressing and immediate danger,” Lynch said. “But that’s not what we see on this video.”

(JSO posted the video to its YouTube page. Viewer discretion is advised.)

Family says Bennett needed help

Bennett’s family and attorneys emphasized that she was a domestic violence survivor.

Crump said Bennett had previously suffered black eyes, busted lips and bruising during abusive relationships. He said Bennett had a restraining order against the boyfriend involved in the Aug. 11 incident.

“Asia was the victim,” said Bennett’s aunt, Crystal Gerhold, who spoke at a vigil Thursday night. “She needed help.”

At the news conference on Friday, Gerhold said she could not understand why the officer did not attempt to de-escalate the encounter before shooting Bennett.

“Asia didn’t come out and make a threat. Asia came out and said she’d been beaten and the answer to that was a shot,” Gerhold said.

She said she and Bennett are both Jacksonville natives and generations of their family have called the city home.

“I was born in this city, Asia was born in this city,” Gerhold said. “I refuse to move from this city, and it cannot fail me.”

Bennett’s uncle, Anthony, questioned whether the response could discourage domestic violence victims from calling law enforcement.

“I might be better off facing the monster in my house than the monster at JSO,” he said, describing the fear he believes the shooting could create for survivors.

NOTE: See below for resources for those in domestic violence situations.

Calls for release of records

Crump called for the complete, unedited body-camera video and Bennett’s full autopsy to be made public.

“We want a release of the full autopsy,” Crump said. “Release the full unedited video. If justice is on your side, what are you trying to hide?”

The family is seeking criminal accountability for the officer.

“I don’t care that she has a badge, she’s a killer,” Gerhold said, referring to the officer. “If I walked out and shot a woman in her back, who clearly had her hands on the ground, and was not a threat to me, (I) would be sitting in that jail.”

Gerhold said she’s disappointed to see JSO “circling the wagons” for the officer.

“This is where we stand up for each other, not against each other.”

Crump said the broader goal is equal treatment under the law.

“They don’t want nothing special,” Crump said. “They’re not asking for anything extraordinary. … They’re asking for equal justice.”

At Thursday’s vigil at Memorial Park in Riverside, family members and Jacksonville Community Action Committee advocates lit candles and wore purple pins in recognition of domestic violence awareness. Gerhold said she wants people to remember Bennett for her laugh.

“Asia’s life mattered,” Crump said. “Domestic violence survivors — their life matters.”

The State Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent investigation.

Domestic violence resources

If you or someone you know is or has been a victim of domestic violence or abuse, here’s a list of resources available:

• Hubbard House Hotline (904) 354-3114 or Textline (904) 210-3698

• The Florida Domestic Violence Hotline, which will direct you to the nearest shelter, is 1-800-500-1119.

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24 hours a day. The number is 1-800-799-SAFE.

• The Micah’s Place (Nassau County) Domestic Violence Help Hotline is 904-225-9979.