Photo courtesy of WRDW.
Twenty-four-year-old Jermaine Jones Jr. passed away on Oct. 18, one week after being tased by police during a traffic stop in Augusta, Ga. Jones had been in a coma and on life support for one week before dying from his injuries.
Police claimed that Jones was tased after he ran during a traffic stop on Oct.11. According to the authorities, Jones ran after police discovered a crack pipe and a gun in his car.
The police report noted that a “brief struggle” occurred during the arrest, and Jones’ family wants answers as to why he died. His father, Jermaine Jones Sr., was in the car with his son and said he witnessed the deputies beating his child.
“They were on him beating him and I’m jumping up like, ‘Hey, that’s my child. What are y’all doing?'”
Jones Sr. believes that his son was beaten again by the deputies after being placed into a police vehicle on the way to the jail.
“From the time he was put in handcuffs to the time he was supposed to be transported to Phinizy Road [jail], something happened to my child,” he said “Something happened to my child between them.”
Bodycam footage is expected to be released sometime next week. His mother, Keyana Gaines, is devastated and told reporters that the whole story should be on the body cam footage.
“I just want answers,” she said. “Because nobody’s child deserves that. Once these videotapes come back, they’ll hear a whole lot more.”
Four deputies from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office were involved in the arrest. Deputies Christopher Brown, Richard Russell, Leslie Gaiter and Parker Leathers are currently on leave while the investigation is pending. Russell was the officer who tased Jones. He reportedly tased Jones in the back when he began to run.
Jones’ injuries included severe swelling, bruising and significant hemorrhaging in multiple parts of the brain.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating how Jones died and if his coma and subsequent death were due to the taser, the arrest or something after he was detained.