State commissioner requests FDLE review of Jacksonville officer-involved shooting

Jacksonville, FL — Agriculture Commissioner Nicole Fried formally requested the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to review the use of deadly force in a Jacksonville officer-involved shooting of Jamee Johnson Friday.

Johnson was shot four times during a traffic stop on Jacksonville’s Eastside Dec. 14.

The request was sent Friday in a letter, as member of the Florida Cabinet, Commissioner Fried jointly oversees FDLE. According to the release, State Representative Ramon Alexander has also called for a state review.

The letter reads in part:

"In light of concerns expressed by the family of Jamee Johnson and members of the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, please consider this a formal request for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to conduct a review of the use of deadly force by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on December 14, 2019. … A thorough review by FDLE's expert Special Agents and Analysts will allay any concerns and bring closure to all the parties involved, the Johnson family, the Sheriff's Deputies involved, JSO, and the citizens of Florida."

Johnson was a 22-year-old college student of FAMU and his family is asking for justice.

Johnson’s mother, Kimberly Austin, is also calling for accountability and transparency after his death.

Austin said she wants JSO to release all unedited body camera footage. She said it’s something they haven’t seen since Johnson died.

“I don’t think he deserved this. He had no record, he was about to graduate next year from college. I’ll never see him have his first child, I’ll never see him, graduate, I’ll never see any of that. I think I have the right to know what happened to my son,” Austin said.

“I loved him in life, I loved him in death, and I am not going to stop until I find out what happened to him,” Austin added.