Crump Picks Up Two New Cases in Jax as Police Fears Grow – Free Press of Jacksonville

National civil rights attorney Ben Crump has taken on two new Northeast Florida police misconduct cases within a single week, intensifying scrutiny over law enforcement use-of-force incidents in the Jacksonville area and continuing a pattern of high-profile civil rights litigation tied to the region.

The newest cases involve the fatal shooting of 48-year-old Morris Davis by Clay County deputies and the arrest of DoorDash driver Tiara Young whose attorneys say suffered severe injuries, including hair being torn from her scalp, during a violent encounter with officers.

The rapid succession of cases has renewed attention on Crump’s growing presence in Northeast Florida, where he has repeatedly represented families alleging excessive force, wrongful death and civil rights violations involving law enforcement agencies.

Crump announced this week that he will represent the family of Morris Anthony Davis, a 48-year-old man shot and killed May 9 by deputies with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office during a Department of Children and Families investigation in Oakleaf Plantation.

According to authorities, deputies learned Davis had a 2003 homicide warrant from Mississippi while assisting DCF investigators at a residence. The sheriff’s office said Davis armed himself with knives ran away and was flailing on the ground before Deputy D. Brown opened fire on him.

But Davis’ family and supporters dispute the official narrative, arguing that cellphone video circulating online appears to show Davis posed no significant threat when he was shot several times. Family members have also said Davis suffered from physical disabilities and was experiencing a mental health crisis.

In the video that was shared on Facebook, Davis could be seen on the ground, with his pants down and too obese to even stand up.

Days later, Crump also joined the legal team representing local Door Dash driver Tiara Young, whose arrest during a traffic stop has generated outrage on social media after videos and photographs circulated online showing visible injuries. Supporters and attorneys allege Young was violently handled by officers during the stop, resulting in braids being torn from her hair and injuries to her face and body.

The case has fueled renewed criticism of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office amid a series of controversial arrests captured on body camera and cellphone footage over the past year. Crump has increasingly become a familiar figure in Jacksonville, where he has repeatedly represented families and individuals alleging police brutality and civil rights violations. Earlier this spring, he represented Dasaun Williams after viral video showed deputies repeatedly striking and tasing the 24-year-old during an arrest in Clay County. He also represented William McNeil Jr., whose violent arrest by Jacksonville officers drew national attention after footage spread online.

Nationally, Crump has built a reputation as one of the country’s most prominent civil rights attorneys through his representation of the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tyre Nichols and Ahmaud Arbery, among others. His legal work has frequently centered on police shootings, wrongful deaths and racial justice issues that have sparked national protests and policy debates.

The latest Jacksonville-area cases arrive amid heightened public attention surrounding police accountability, use-of-force tactics and law enforcement responses involving people experiencing mental health crises.