Holding Police Accountable When Force Goes Too Far
Police officers are trusted to protect the public. When an officer uses unjustified or excessive force, the consequences can be devastating: permanent injuries, lost livelihoods, and families who lose a loved one. These cases are also among the hardest to win, because government agencies, their insurers, and their lawyers fight hard to protect officers and departments.
The Injury Advocates represents people across Florida who have been shot, beaten, tased, or otherwise injured by law enforcement, and families whose loved ones were killed. Our founder, Kweku Darfoor, is personally involved in every police misconduct case we take on.
Our Role in the Case
As local counsel, our firm handled nearly everything the case required on the ground in Palm Beach County. We organized community stakeholders for peaceful protests and public demonstrations in the weeks after the shooting. We appeared on behalf of the family as a spokesperson to the press, and spoke on panels about the case and about policing. And we served as the family’s liaison with the State Attorney’s Office and the investigating agencies while the criminal investigation was underway. That combination of community organizing, public advocacy, and day-to-day work with prosecutors is what a case of this kind demands, and it is work we continue to do for families today.
Our Work for the Family of Corey Jones
In October 2015, Corey Jones, a 31-year-old musician, was waiting for roadside assistance beside his broken-down car on an Interstate 95 off-ramp in Palm Beach Gardens when a plainclothes officer in an unmarked van approached him and fatally shot him. The officer was later convicted of manslaughter and attempted murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The Injury Advocates represented the Jones family in their civil case against the City of Palm Beach Gardens and the former officer. In 2023, the City agreed to a $2 million settlement with the family.
In the news
See full media coverage of the Corey Jones case
Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome.
Police Misconduct Cases We Handle
How Police Misconduct Claims Work in Florida
Claims against law enforcement are different from ordinary injury cases. Depending on the facts, a case may involve:
Officers and agencies frequently raise defenses such as qualified immunity, which can end a case early if it is not carefully built from the start. Knowing which claims to bring, against whom, and in which court is critical.
Act Quickly to Protect Your Case
Critical evidence in police cases can be lost, overwritten, or withheld. As soon as possible, we work to preserve body-worn and dash camera footage, 911 and dispatch recordings, use-of-force reports, internal affairs records, nearby surveillance video, and witness statements.
Claims against government agencies also carry strict notice requirements and filing deadlines, and some can be as short as two years. If you or a family member has been hurt by police, speak with a lawyer before giving any statement to investigators or an insurance representative.
Police misconduct cases often pit one family against a government agency with unlimited resources. We bring in experienced investigators and use-of-force experts, handle the media attention that can come with a high-profile case, and fight for accountability as well as compensation. If needed, we are ready to take your case to trial.
See the settlements we have recovered for clients on our Case Results page.
Why Families Choose The Injury Advocates
Yes. If an officer used force that was not objectively reasonable under the circumstances, you may be able to bring a federal civil rights claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Florida state-law claims, or both. Whether you can recover, and from whom, depends on the facts, the agency involved, and the defenses raised.
Nothing up front. Your consultation is free, and we handle injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means our fee is a percentage of the money we recover for you. If we do not win your case, you owe no attorney’s fees and no case costs.
Qualified immunity is a legal defense that can protect individual officers from personal liability in federal civil rights cases unless they violated a clearly established constitutional right. It is one of the biggest obstacles in police cases, which is why these claims need to be carefully investigated and built from the start.
Yes. Under Florida’s Wrongful Death Act, the personal representative of the estate can bring a claim on behalf of the surviving family members, and federal civil rights claims may also be available. These cases have strict deadlines, so families should speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.
You may still have a claim, but what happens in your criminal case can affect your civil case. We can coordinate with your criminal defense attorney so that nothing you say or do in one case harms the other.
Generally two years for a wrongful death claim, though it varies by the type of claim and the agency involved. Claims against government agencies also require written notice before a lawsuit can be filed, and because evidence can disappear quickly, contact a lawyer as soon as possible.
