The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has closed its roughly six-month investigation into the Dec. 18 arrest of Lakeland resident Antwan Glover, who accused four officers of excessive force during a traffic stop.
On Dec. 18, Glover was stopped by LPD’s Street Crimes Unit on West 9th Street for allegedly not wearing a seatbelt, when officers spotted marijuana inside the car. Two videos of Glover’s arrest that were posted to Facebook went viral, showing what appeared to be an officer punching Glover in the head and upper torso while his hands, with open palms, appear to be held by his face.
State Attorney Brian Haas had a letter hand-delivered to Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor dated June 23 summarizing the results of the FDLE investigation.
“The partial video of the arrest described herein that was circulated by the defendant is a misleading representation of the entire incident,” Haas wrote. “The complete FDLE report provides critical context and information that leads to my conclusion that no charges are appropriate against any Lakeland police officer involved in this arrest.”
Haas’ letter makes clear he determined Glover’s own actions justified the officers’ use of force. The state attorney noted Glover had a prior criminal record and was “very familiar” with arrest procedures.
“Glover refused the lawful command of the officers, made the decision to actively fight them, and aggressively and violently prevented the officers from securing a satchel that was strapped to his body,” reads the letter. “The officers, with good reason, suspected the satchel contained a deadly weapon.”
Haas said the officers used body blows, leg sweeps, and other “less-than-lethal tactics,” including the deployment of two Tasers in an attempt to subdue Glover. However, the state attorney states FDLE investigators found Glover continued to fight back, placing one officer in a headlock.
“Officer Jefferson further stated that the headlock continued for a period of time to cause Officer Jefferson to fear for Officer Cornn’s wellbeing,” reads the letter.
The two videos originally shared on social media did not appear to depict the defendant placing an officer in a headlock as described. No body camera footage is available. Lakeland Police Department had purchased the cameras prior to Glover’s arrest, but the agency said they were not rolled out to the Street Crimes Unit at the time.
Under intense scrutiny, Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor placed the four officers on paid administrative leave on Jan. 26 and asked FDLE to conduct its own investigation into Glover’s arrest alongside its own internal investigation. Lakeland police did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the FDLE’s findings and the status of the four officers involved.
Black Lives Matters Restoration Polk Inc. called for the officers to be arrested Jan. 19. The advocacy group brought forward four other arrests spanning a period of 13 months, from November 2021 to July 2022, alleging the officers involved had “a pattern of violent behavior” and calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation.