Charges against Lakeland teen dropped, investigation into arrest video continues

LAKELAND, Fla. - Charges against a Lakeland teen have been dropped after an arrest over trespassing escalated to the officers punching and tasing him.

Video taken by a bystander shows some of what happened on Memorial Day, just after Lakeland Officers McKee and Diaz asked Jahmal Hudson to leave the area around the swimming pool at the Caroline Apartments off Griffin Rd.

Officers wrote that Hudson, who weighs 374 pounds, resisted arrest, flailed his arms, then struck one of them in the face with his closed fist.

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Advocates say what happened next was unacceptable by any measure. One officer punches him in the face twice, then the other tases him.

"This is traumatizing to them," Pastor Clayton Cowart of the Poor and Minority Justice Association said. "So they're still dealing with the aftershocks of just seeing her son beaten."

Family learned that on June 5, State Attorney Brian Haas, after reviewing evidence, including potentially additional video, dropped the three charges against Jahmal, including battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting a law enforcement officer, and trespassing.

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"The state attorney had looked at this and said, 'hey, whatever you're saying, we don't see what you see,'" said Cowart.

Lakeland Police released a statement Friday, saying:

"The status of charges in an incident does not affect our process for Administrative Investigations or reviews. This remains an open and active Administrative Investigation with our Office of Professional Standards and all evidence will be available for release upon completion of the investigation. At this time the officers remain on modified duty status."

Cowart says the dropping of the charges is further proof that the two officers should be fired and criminally charged.

"I hope that we learn that a picture is worth a thousand words. We certainly appreciate the fact that citizens also have cameras, and I think that we've learned that we still have a long ways to go."

Lakeland Police say that the two officers have been reassigned to an "internal support division" within the department until the investigation into what happened is complete. No timeframe has been given.

The Poor and Minority Justice Association says monthly protests are planned until officers McKee and Diaz are fired.

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