JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The family of a man shot and killed by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at an Argyle Forest hotel last month says he was mentally ill and is now demanding answers about what led to his death.
Michael Hughes, a 32-year-old father of two, was identified as the man shot and killed when police say he reportedly attacked police with a Taser. It happened at the Quality Inn on Youngerman Circle on Tuesday, March 30.
Hughes' family attorney, Marwan Porter, says a "simple domestic" disturbance should not have led to Hughes' death. During a news conference Tuesday, Porter explained that Hughes suffered from mental illnesses such as paranoia.
"A non-violent domestic dispute should not result in someone's death. It just shouldn't. That's crazy," Porter said. "His girlfriend is here today. They had a dispute. They loved one another. They had a relationship for years."
Hughes' girlfriend, Dawn Johnson, tearfully said she doesn't understand why police used deadly force and Hughes was not behaving in a threatening manner.
"It wasn't supposed to go that way," Johnson said. "I never knew when I opened the door and I called police for help that this is what was going to happen. I never wanted the father of my son to die."
The family and their attorney now want police to release any bodycam or dashcam video involved in the investigation surrounding Hughes' death, as well as any surveillance video from the hotel.
"I don't understand why they could do such a thing to a man who was unarmed and had problems," Hughes' father said at the news conference.
Police were called to a domestic situation at the hotel four times from 6:30 a.m. to 12:37 p.m. When officers arrived at 12:53 p.m., a woman inside the room told police Hughes tried to enter her room when she called police. Hughes refused to follow the officers' instructions, according to investigators.
The officers tried to take Hughes into custody for refusing to obey their orders, and that's when a fight broke out between Hughes and the officers, which JSO says lasted for more than a minute. Hughes said "I'm going to kill you!" during the fight, police say.
Shortly after, the officer said Hughes was going for his Taser. That's when Officer J.H. Wing began firing his gun at Hughes.
After the first shot, police say Hughes continued to advance and the officer shot him multiple times. Hughes was then handcuffed before officers gave him CPR. Police say Hughes died at the scene.
A police officer was also injured during the incident, according to JSO. He received minor injuries from the taser and a bruise on his face.