In-Custody Tasing Death Investigated By FL Officials: Palmetto Police

PALMETTO, FL — An in-custody tasing death at the hands of Palmetto police officers is being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, authorities said.

Chief Scott Tyler contacted the FDLE Nov. 3 to request an independent investigation into the death of 36-year-old Breonte Johnson-Davis, according to a Palmetto Police Department news release.

Community leaders and his family are demanding answers about the death.

"I'm going to continue to stand until everybody in this situation is held accountable for what they did to my boy," his mother, Tracey Washington, said during a rally outside the Palmetto Police Department Monday, according to WTSP.

Officers responded to a report of “a customer who was being aggressive with staff and customers and acting disruptive” at the Circle K at 1706 8th Ave. W. Nov. 1 around 2:20 a.m., police said.

The first officer who arrived saw a man matching the description given by the caller running south on 8th Avenue West. The officer turned his patrol car around to speak with the man, who was later identified as Johnson-Davis.

While the officer was stopping his car, Johnson-Davis ran up to it and banged on the driver’s window with his fists, preventing the officer from getting out of it, police said. He then jumped on the hood of the car and rolled around.

Based on his behaviors, officers tried to take him into custody under the Marchman Act, which allows officers to take people impaired because of substance abuse into custody.

Johnson-Davis resisted the officers’ attempts to restrain him and one officer used a taser on him, police said. He was handcuffed and Manatee County EMS was called as a precaution.

While paramedics evaluated him, he suffered a medical episode, police said. Paramedics performed life-saving measures and he was brought to Manatee Memorial Hospital, where he died on Nov. 3.

The Women’s Voices of SW Florida said in a news release that Johnson-Davis was experiencing a mental health crisis when police responded to the Circle K.

The organization said that he went into cardiac arrest after the responding officers tased and punched him multiple times.

EMS also “failed to render immediate aid” at the scene, WVSWFL said. “As a result, Breonte was unconscious for several minutes without a pulse before CPR was started. Breonte died the next day at the hospital.”

The organization also said that the police department allowed Johnson-Davis’ family to see a partial bodycam video from one of the officer’s, but wouldn’t provide the family with a police report or unedited videos from the incident and wouldn’t allow the family to record or save the videos.

Patch has reached out to the Palmetto Police Department to request bodycam footage from Johnson-Davis’ death.

“Those who have seen the video state that officers/EMS joke and laugh as Breonte lays on the ground unresponsive, delayed providing aid and at least one officer bragged about having the opportunity to try out his new taser,” WVSWFL said. “The Palmetto police have confirmed that Breonte was tased; although, he was never under arrest, and no officers have been placed on administrative leave.”

Chief Tyler said that once the FDLE investigation is complete, it will be forwarded to the state attorney’s office for review, according to the PPD news release.