Willie Gary is Taking Sammy Evans Case

• Black Man Killed while in Police Custody
  

In the courtroom he's known as the "Giant Killer," and now his office is taking on a high profile case that started with the death of a Jacksonville grandfather. Willie Gary is known on the first coast for hosting his annual Willie Gary Classic. First Coast News has confirmed that Gary's office has agreed to take the Sammy Lee Evans case, though it's not clear yet what kind of legal action Evans's family may seek. The FBI has been called in to investigate what happened to Evans when Jacksonville Sheriff's Deputies took him into custody in Springfield earlier this month. Some community leaders have raised questions of police brutality in connection with Evans's death and the death of a homeless inmate at the Duval County Jail just a few days later. Evans and two other men were stopped for having open containers. After Evans was taken into custody, Sheriff's deputies noticed he was no longer responsive and called for emergency help. Evans died. While autopsy results have not been released, police say Evans died because of a broken neck. A rookie with the JSO who had just been reprimanded for using excessive force while arresting a teenager was also involved in Evans's arrest. That officer, Kaleb Underwood, has since resigned from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. [more]