JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The owner and chef for a popular Jacksonville catering company and food truck has been identified as the man who was critically injured in the Duval County Jail Tuesday.

Charles Faggart, who runs Chop it Charlie’s, has “catastrophic injuries,” according to a statement from his lawyer. According to police records, he was arrested on April 1 for simple assault and criminal mischief, which are both misdemeanors.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said Tuesday that nine officers were involved in an incident that left an inmate with “very bad” injuries on Monday. When asked to describe the injuries, Water said, they were “bad enough for me to come out here and tell the public about it.” Those nine officers have been stripped of their authority while an investigation is underway.

The family still does not know what happened to him or how he sustained his injuries, according to their attorney. Waters did not provide details at his press conference.

Waters said that the inmate, who he did not identify, was in the hospital at the time. 

Attorney Belkis Plata said in a statement that Faggart is in the hospital and on a ventilator. “The family is devastated and demands answers regarding how Charles sustained such catastrophic injuries while in the custody and under the supervision of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office — a place where he should have been kept safe,” she wrote.

Plata wrote that Faggart may not survive his injuries, saying his six-year-old son “now faces the likelihood of growing up without a dad.” 

The family has posted a GoFundMe to assist with “mounting medical expenses and provide support” for Charles’s son Lincoln.

“Charles has always been known for his big heart, his flavorful food, and the joy he brought to others. Now, we are asking the community he gave so much to — to give back,” they wrote on the GoFundMe page.

The full statement from Faggart’s attorney is below:

“I confirm that Mr. Faggart is the individual referenced in recent reports involving life threatening injuries sustained while in custody at the Duval County Jail. Mr. Faggart remains hospitalized and is on a ventilator. The family is devastated and demands answers regarding how Charles sustained such catastrophic injuries while in the custody and under the supervision of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office — a place where he should have been kept safe.

This incident has placed an overwhelming emotional and financial burden on the family. Mr. Faggart is a father to a six-year-old son, who now faces the likelihood of growing up without a dad. 

The family has established a GoFundMe page to assist with mounting medical expenses and provide support for Lincoln during this extremely difficult time. 

The Faggart family respectfully requests privacy as they await answers. They are calling for a thorough and transparent investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice.”

The nine employees involved were eight corrections officers and one arresting sergeant, who are all removed from their positions pending investigation.

Their names have not been released at this time.

An investigation is being carried out by JSO’s “most experienced” detectives, Waters said. 

In a statement Wednesday evening, Waters said he formally requested assistance from Jacksonville’s Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate cooperatively with JSO detectives.

The officers will remain out of their positions until the investigation is concluded, when a final decision will be made.

Waters says that the State Attorney’s Office will be involved and senior prosecutors are conducting an independent investigation.  

Waters stressed that JSO is taking this very seriously. 

“The safety and the security of our inmates, those housed at our jail, is a priority for this agency,” he said. “And I assure the public, this investigative process will be thorough, competent and comprehensive.”

FDLE told First Coast News they have not been asked to assist in the investigation at this point, saying that could change at any moment.

Below is the full statement from Waters provided to First Coast News on Wednesday:

“Transparency is the foundation of public trust. The public’s confidence in the integrity of the April 7th critical incident investigation and in our agency’s commitment to transparency is of paramount concern to me. In that spirit, I spoke with leadership at the Jacksonville Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Today, I formally requested the investigative assistance of the FBI to work cooperatively with our detectives concerning the incident that recently occurred in the Duval County Jail. This remains an active criminal investigation, and there is no additional information that I can provide at this time about the facts and circumstances of this critical incident. We will provide our federal partners with all the information they need to conduct their investigation.”