SARASOTA
— The family of a man who died of a cocaine overdose while in custody has filed
a lawsuit against the Sarasota Police department claiming they are at fault for
the 2015 death.
The
lawsuit, filed May 9, comes two years after John Kaafi, 33, died at Sarasota
Memorial Hospital.
Joanne
Soucy, Kaafi’s mother, is suing the department alleging that “the conduct of
the officers and policies of the Sarasota Police Department directly caused the
injury and ultimate death of Mr. Kaafi,” according to court records.
Her
complaint also names two officers — Juan Jaimes and Adam Arena — who arrested
Kaafi, along with the department.
The
lawsuit alleges that Officer Jaimes pulled over the vehicle without cause and
commenced an unprovoked attack against Kaafi, after he was handcuffed.
Shortly
after, Kaafi complained about trouble breathing, and an ambulance was ordered
but later canceled. It wasn’t until he arrived at the Sarasota County Jail that
Kaafi received medical aid and was taken to the hospital.
“None
of the extreme force inflicted upon John Kaafi was communicated to the
responding paramedics in an effort by the officers to avoid their misdeeds
being known,” court documents state. “The withholding of vital information
prevented Kaafi from receiving timely or reasonable medical care.”
Kaafi
had an extensive arrest history.
According
to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Kaafi was arrested 28 times. Some
of the charges include: aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, high-speed
fleeing and resisting arrest with violence.
His
mother’s attorney declined to comment about the lawsuit.
Sarasota
Police spokeswoman Genevieve Judge also declined to comment.
Source: theledger.com
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