JACKSONVILLE - The City of Jacksonville, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams and Jacksonville Sheriff's Officer Timothy James want to defend themselves against a complaint for damages in federal court.
The complaint was filed by plaintiff Barbara Ann Land as estate representative of her deceased son Blane S. Land on March 31 in the Duval County Circuit Court and was removed to federal court on April 13.
The decedent was walking across University Boulevard at its intersection with Philips Highway on the evening of May 10, 2017, when he was struck and killed by defendant Officer James, who was operating his marked police vehicle, the suit says.
The complaint says that James was responding to a robbery call at a high rate of speed without the proper emergency equipment on the police vehicle activated.
The plaintiffs allege that the defendants wrongfully attempted to identify the decedent as a suspect in the robbery who was suicidal and purposefully placed himself in front of the officer's vehicle.
Officer James allegedly was involved in seven other vehicle collisions since being hired by the sheriff's office in 2014.
The defendants are charged with federal substantive due process violation, constitutional rights violations, deprivation of medical care and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The plaintiffs are represented by the Law Office of Phillips and Hunt of Jacksonville.