Your Florida Daily: Viral police arrest video, Orange County teacher investigated for child photos

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is now investigating the officers involved in viral arrest that shows a young man with swollen eyes and a bloody face after what appears to be a violent encounter with police.

The video, showing the arrest of 24-year-old Le’Keian Woods, circulated across social media and is garnering local and national attention.

In the video, Woods is face-down on the ground, surrounded by several officers as they forcefully place him in handcuffs.

In Jacksonville on Sunday, outraged protesters, along with Woods’ mother, held signs saying this is another case of “racial injustice” and police brutality.

“I saw them kick my son and slam his face on the ground,” Natassia Woods said.

“I could not believe they would do that to a person because if you kick a dog or do something to an animal, you’re going down. So it’s OK to beat a human down like that? [...] It’s not right. It’s not fair.”

According to Wood’s attorney, the 24-year-old was pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt and faces several charges, including armed trafficking in methamphetamine and resisting an officer with violence.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said body cam video will eventually be released, which he says will provide context to the incident.

An Orange County teacher has been charged with of possession of materials depicting sexual performance of a child more than a month after being fired from the middle school where he worked.

Records show 22-year-old Ryan Hamil has been under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) all summer.

According to FDLE, Hamil was stopped by officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection following a cruise in July, where they say he admitted to purchasing child sex abuse materials on the “dark web.”

They say he also admitted to taking pictures of children during the cruise and of children in his care at the YMCA in Winter Garden, where he worked, the affidavit states.

No criminal charges were filed against Hamil at the time, and he was released.

When FDLE told administrators at Water Spring Middle School about the investigation on Aug. 25, Hamil was terminated.

Investigators say Hamil turned over his cellphone but denied he had taken any pictures of students.

The affidavit shows his phone contained two photos of a girl “approximately 12 years of age.”

Hamil has also been banned from the YMCA and has since bonded out of jail.

A Florida lawmaker wants to honor legendary musician Jimmy Buffett by designating a famous beachside highway in his honor.

The bill filed in Tallahassee would proclaim State Road A1A “Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway”.

He died on Sept. 1.

Buffett’s music has long been a staple of the Florida coast, especially in the Keys.

Lawmakers will consider the bill when the legislative session begins in January.

Random Florida Fact

Launch Complex 34 in Cape Canaveral is now abandoned and dedicated to preserving the memory of the Apollo 1 crew.

On Jan. 27, 1967, three astronauts — “Gus” Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee — perished in a fire during a launch rehearsal.

The fire reacted with pressurized oxygen inside the Apollo 1 capsule, turning lethal before they could open the door.

The large cement cradle in the middle of the launch pad remains the official memorial to the brave astronauts, with a commemorative plaque that tells their tale.

Today, visitors are welcome to see the site.

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