JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The attorney representing the family of Michael Hughes on Wednesday presented new surveillance video that was recorded outside the Quality Inn on Youngerman Circle, which shows what led to Hughes being shot and killed by Officer J.H. Wing.
In the video, another officer — Officer Blanchard — comes out of the hotel room and into the outdoor hallway, followed by Hughes. It should be noted that at this moment, investigators said Hughes had already been shot twice in a hotel room. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Hughes had fought with Wing in the hotel room, got his taser away from him and tasered the officer, which led to Wing being shot.
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The video outside shows Blanchard backing up, gun drawn. Wing is last to come into view, and has his gun drawn. There appears to be slight contact between Hughes and Blanchard, and as Blanchard steps to his left, Hughes faces Wing from about five to six feet. He appears to take one step toward Wing, and that’s when Wing fires, and Hughes falls to the ground.
(Click photo below to view surveillance video)
The family of Hughes has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, and during a Wednesday news conference, Attorney Marwan Porter called the shooting unjustified and excessive.
“It is our position that even if there was a scuffle inside the hotel room, once that scuffle subsided and there was no longer a threat, there was no reason to finish him off,” Porter said.
Porter said Hughes was injured, disoriented and no threat to the officers.
Michael Hughes’ father, Timothy, spoke of his anger at the loss of his son, whom he called a good man. He said the video shows Wing had no intention of arresting Hughes.
“Knowing all of the self-defense those officers have been taught, they took their training and they threw it out the window, and they did what they wanted to do, that is to shoot him three times in the torso area, killing him,” Hughes said.
The shooting was ruled justifiable by the state attorney’s office, and News4JAX received the ruling on Wednesday, which was issued in August. The state attorney’s office ruled that Wing thought Hughes still had his taser when he stepped outside the hotel room, “lunged at” Blanchard, and “charged at” Wing, who fired the fatal shots.
The shooting will now be reviewed by JSO’s Response to Resistance Board.