JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The FBI will review last month's fatal police-involved shooting on Baymeadows Road to determine if anyone's civil rights were violated.
In March, police fired 42 shots at a car containing a suspected back robber, accidentally injuring a 2-year-old boy and his mother.
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The FBI said that part of the reason the agency is getting involved is because it has received calls from the community expressing concerns about the shooting. The agency will likely focus specifically on whether the five police officers involved violated the constitutional rights of the people in the car by using deadly force.
The review will come after the state attorney's office completes its investigation into whether the officers broke the law by opening fire on the car. FBI will also likely wait until the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office finishes its internal review of the case.
Sheriff John Rutherford told Channel 4's lead investigator Jennifer Waugh that the FBI came to his office and asked what he thought of the investigation. The sheriff said he told the agency he thought it would be a good idea for them to review the case to create a certain level of public trust. The sheriff also said that he is confident the FBI will find no problems with the investigation.
The FBI also talked with State Attorney Angela Corey and said she was supportive of the idea of the review and that she will cooperate with it.
The review came three weeks after police officers opened fire on a car driven by an armed robbery suspect. The suspect carjacked a white car carrying 2-year-old Daniel Crichton, his mother and his sister in the drive-thru of a fast food restaurant.
The officers fired 42 shots into the car killing Jeremiah Mathis of Utica, N.Y.
Two of the bullets hit Crichton, critically injuring him. He is now recovering.
Crichton's mother, Joann Cooper was also shot in the foot. She is also out of the hospital.