Jacksonville, FL – A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) officer shot an unarmed Black man multiple times, at around 9:00 a.m., March 29, at the Cleveland Arms apartment complex. Neighbors say he is in his early 20s and was not at fault. The officer who shot him has been previously involved in multiple incidents. The young man is currently in the hospital, and his condition is reportedly stable.

When Devanta DeJuan Jones called the police for help early on the morning of March 29, he probably didn't expect them to come and shoot at him. He had called the police to help him allegedly settle an argument at his home. The cop, Cliff Sames, shot Jones after chasing and hitting him with a stun gun three times. Officer Sames was involved in two police shootings in the past.

This is just another one of the many cases of police crimes that are catching fire around the country. These cases, like the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, involve the police shooting an unarmed Black man. Afterwards, the police make up a ridiculous story so they can paint their shooting victim in a negative light.

Fight Back! caught up with a neighbor of Jones and fellow resident of the Cleveland Arms apartments, Karruah Parkinson, who is organizing for justice. Parkinson had this to say: “We'd just like people to come out to our rally tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. and show support. We're rallying to show them that Black lives really matter. It's not necessary for JSO to shoot a Black man every time something happens.”

Organizers with the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition and community members are organizing a rally on March 30 at the corner store across from Cleveland Arms apartment complex at 6:00 p.m. The address for the starting location is 5105 Cleveland Arms Road.

Fight Back! encourages readers to attend the rally and stay up to date on developments in the case.

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