LAKELAND, Fla. — Polk County activists said the fight for justice is not over after the State Attorney cleared four Lakeland Police officers of wrongdoing in the controversial arrest of a man last December.
Earlier this week, ABC Action News reported that the officers would not face charges, but now activists tell us they are calling other agencies to investigate.
The traffic stop on December 18, 2022, ended with Antwan Glover being punched, tased, and charged with resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, and battery on an officer.
After a partial video of the arrest went viral, Glover and local activists demanded the Lakeland Police officers be criminally charged.
“They had the gentlemen Mr. Glover outnumbered. There was a point when they had him under control, and even at that, that officer continued to punch,” said Terry Coney, President of NAACP Lakeland.
Following a roughly six-month investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, State Attorney Brian Haas, concluded that LPD Sgt. Mark Eby, Detective Dillon Cornn, and Officers Anton Jefferson and Jason McCain should not be charged.
In a letter to Lakeland Police Chief Sammy Taylor, Haas wrote the “partial” video “is a misleading representation of the entire incident.”
“He’s allowing them to continue to be rogue officers. These officers, some of them have 60 plus complaints over a small period of time, and they’re still allowing them to be on the streets,” said Jarvis Washington, Founder and President of BLM Restoration Inc.
Community activists are not giving up. Washington said members of BLM Restoration will meet with the U.S. Department of Justice, urging them to investigate and charge the officers.
“We want the DOJ to go ahead and open up an investigation on the officers involved and the police department in general. How many violations they’ve had as a whole and the officers that they’re shielding,” Washington said.
Washington said a series of protests are also being planned. Meanwhile, the officers remain on modified duty as the Lakeland Police Department continues its internal investigation.
