JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Chants of “Justice for Charles” echoed from the Police Memorial Building Sunday in the wake of a man’s death stemming from a “jail incident,” as protesters demanded the name of the nine officers involved.

Surrounded by family, Charles Faggart’s mother, Tracey Karpas, said he was wonderful and she was thankful for her time with her 31-year-old son.

“I should have gotten at least 31 more,” Karpas said.

Faggart, a caterer and former food truck owner, died Thursday after being left with what his family’s attorney said were “catastrophic injuries” from an incident at Duval County Jail involving eight JSO officers and a sergeant.

On April 1, Faggart was booked into Duval County Jail following criminal mischief and simple assault charges.

Faggart was “released on recognizance” Tuesday at 7:14 p.m., court records show. He was “unable to sign due to medical reasons.” On Wednesday, he was on a ventilator.

A friend of Faggart, Kylie Hopkins, said inmates deserve humane treatment. She said corrections officers need body cameras and decried the “militarization” of police.

“We stand here not just for Charles but every individual that has suffered at the hands of law enforcement,” she said.

For the officers, she ended with a question:

“What if it was your son?”

Wells Todd, of Take ‘Em Down JAX, led a chant of “No Justice, No Peace.” He advocated building a movement that fights against police brutality, for healthcare, women’s rights, and LGBTQ rights and against the policies of President Donald Trump.

He disputed the city’s plans for a new jail. He referenced Dexter Barry’s medical-related death in 2022. Multiple protestors said Faggart deserved healthcare and due process.

“This is not the first time nor will it be the last time that we’ll be out here for police brutality,” Todd said.

JCAC member Michael Sampson said Faggart referred to Lt. Marc Crawford, who shot into a car last month and was later reassigned. He demanded Sheriff T.K. Waters and JSO leadership release the names of the officers involved in Faggart’s death.

“We need those names released,” Sampson said. “We need to know who’s responsible for the passing of a brother, a son, a father. The family deserves that.”

He said Faggart’s family needs to be supported.

“It’s hard enough losing a loved one, but you’re thinking about what it’s going to take to hold JSO accountable,” Sampson said.

JCAC member Sam Hunter said the community is grieving over Faggart’s death. He said law enforcement should not act as “judge, jury and executioner.” He criticized the new jail plans, the purchase of mobile fingerprint scanners and JSO’s internal investigations.  

“We want every single name that was involved in this so-called ‘incident,’ what was really a murder, a brutality of one of our fellow citizens of Jacksonville,” he said.

Northside Coalition President Kelly Frazier said Faggart’s death necessitates accountability and change, and is a “stark reminder” that there needs to be reform. She said the outcome must result in bail and mental health training changes, the installation of a civilian review board, maintaining group intervention programs and investing in underserved communities.

“This will move our community toward justice, not a $1 billion jail,” she said before leading a chant of “Justice, not Jail.”

JCAC said they are demanding the immediate release of the officers’ names and video footage of the incident and the “termination, indictment and conviction of all officers involved.” They want the founding of a civilian oversight committee “to hold JSO accountable” and a “People’s Budget” with a focus on healthcare, housing and public safety. 

The group also calls for an end to plans for a new $1 billion jail, with funds directed to community services and rehabilitation instead.

At a press conference Tuesday, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters described Faggart’s injuries as “bad enough for me to come out here and tell the public about it.” He said the nine corrections officers involved in the incident were stripped of their duties and are under investigation. 

The sheriff said he also plans to include the FBI in the investigation.

JSO released the following statement Thursday after Faggart’s death:

“Detectives continue to work diligently to gain a complete understanding of the facts and circumstances that led to the brain death of Charles Faggart after the April 7th incident at the Duval County Jail. This is an active, dynamic investigation that requires, amongst other things, the opinion of the Office of the Medical Examiner.  JSO will conduct a thorough, complete, and comprehensive investigation in this case, as it does in every death investigation. Detectives have and will continue to remain in communication with the family through its attorney.

Transparency is a priority for JSO.  However, that priority does not supersede the agency’s commitment to maintain the integrity of criminal investigations.  Once Sheriff Waters has answers, he will provide those answers to the Faggart family.  Once the criminal case is completed, Sheriff Waters will share the details of this death investigation publicly.

As Sheriff Waters previously stated, the eight corrections officers and corrections sergeant have been stripped of their authority pending the criminal and, subsequent, administrative investigations.”

Click the video below to watch the entire proest: