Jax City Council passes bill requiring Sheriff Waters’ signature on lawsuits involving officers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville City Council passed an ordinance proposed by Sheriff T.K. Waters, which allows the sheriff to have signing authority over lawsuits involving law enforcement officers.

“Last night the City Council passed ordinance 2024–0045 with an overwhelming majority, giving Constitutional Officers a voice in the decision to settle cases brought against their agencies,” Waters said.

The ordinance passed with a 15-4 vote.

City Councilmembers Tyrona Clark-Murray, Ju’Coby Pittman, Rahman Johnson and Jimmy Peluso were the four members who voted against the bill Tuesday.

“This ordinance ensures that decisions to settle a case are made in the best interest of both the officers involved and the community they serve,” the sheriff said. “Additionally, it will help prevent settlements from being made that could potentially undermine the morale and effectiveness of our agency.”

Waters proposed the bill following a $200,000 settlement in July between the city and the family of 22-year-old Jamee Johnson, who according to the sheriff’s office, was shot and killed by an officer in 2019.

The sheriff’s office said the officer was “forced to use deadly force in order to save his own life” against armed-suspect Johnson, who was stopped at a traffic stop and allegedly “tried to kill” the officer.

The settlement was drafted and signed on July 27. The sheriff’s office was notified on Aug. 1.

The Florida Times-Union reported part of a statement from Waters regarding the settlement, who said he was “deeply disappointed” by the outcome of the settlement and the sheriff’s office’s “lack of proper notification.”

“If properly consulted by representative counsel, my request would have been to take the case before a jury and not settle,” Waters said.

The bill adds a line on settlement paperwork for the sheriff and constitutional officers. In other words, lawsuits against a law enforcement officer will now require the sheriff’s signature before taking effect.

If one constitutional officer required to sign the settlement paperwork does not agree to sign, then it would go to the council president. The sheriff’s office said in that case, the council president is essentially a “tiebreaker.”

“Our officers dedicate their lives to public service, often facing dangerous and challenging situations that can leave them entangled in legal disputes,” Waters said following his bill passage.

The sheriff commended the city council for their support and “shared vision of a safer Jacksonville.”