The family of a 5-year-old child killed in a crash with an Auburndale police officer last month is now calling for the officer’s termination.
On Monday, Jalina Anglin‘s family will take part in a press conference alongside members of Black Lives Matter Restoration Inc. and the Poor and Minority Justice Association.
Organizers say they’ve found several discrepancies with the crash report and official statements issued by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the fatal officer-involved incident.
According to a release issued ahead of Monday night’s press conference, Auburndale Police Sergeant Danny Swann was driving recklessly and exceeding speeds of 85 miles an hour when he ran a red light at US 92 and Havendale Boulevard and crashed into a vehicle Jalina and Jermanica Anglin were in on November 25.
“If no consequences happen, he’s going to continue to think he wasn’t at fault,” said Daniel Harrell, Jalina’s father. “He’s going to genuinely think what I’m doing is not wrong, so somebody else’s mother or grandma is going to be hurt, so he has to be held accountable.”
The family is also calling for the Justice Department to take over the investigation, citing “strong credibility concerns” with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
In a media release issued after the crash, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Swann was actively responding to a call with his emergency sirens and lights activated when Jermanica Anglin pulled into the intersection and was struck.
“This excuse does not excuse Sergeant Swann’s decision to run a red light speeding at a high rate of speed using his patrol truck as a bulldozer that ran and slammed into a vehicle occupying a child and her mother,” said Pastor Carl Soto, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Restoration, Inc.
In their release, organizers say the sheriff’s office has not provided evidence to show Swann was indeed responding to a call at the time.
The family also says Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd made “unfounded and inflammatory” remarks to the media, calling into question whether Jalina was wearing a seat belt.
Harrell told the media his daughter had clearly visible injuries from her seat belt.
“Sheriff Judd’s inflammatory remarks prove of his inability to accept responsibility for Sergeant Swann’s negligent actions, and we are concerned for the integrity of the investigation due to strong credibility concerns of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office,” organizers stated in their release.
Sheriff Judd issued the following statement Monday:
“Here we go again with the PMJA making false accusations and inflammatory statements. This fatal crash investigation by our Traffic Homicide Unit, which is the very best in the business, is still ongoing. Once the investigation is complete, the full report will be available for inspection under Florida’s public records laws. As we do with all traffic crashes, we release very preliminary information to the media and the public as quickly as possible. To suggest any nefarious conduct by law enforcement is outrageous, and once again diminishes the PMJA’s credibility.”