BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Nearly two years after Gregory Edwards' death the Brevard County sheriff’s office has released the video showing the last moments of his life.
The sheriff’s office initially refused to release the video but agreed to release it to the public following a court settlement.
Edwards was arrested on battery charges on Dec. 10, 2018, following an incident in a West Melbourne Walmart parking lot.
At the time his then-pregnant wife told police he was a combat medic with diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder.
Deputies said Edwards was combative when he was taken to jail, leading him to being pepper-sprayed, tased, and then put into a restraint chair with a spit hood while he was being booked into the jail.
An internal affairs investigation cleared Brevard deputies of any excessive force, but the sheriff initially said they would not release the video from inside the jail, citing security exemptions and concerns.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey defended the actions of deputies who he says were reacting after Edwards tried to choke a deputy and knocked him unconscious and would not stop fighting.
“Not only did our deputies do nothing to cause Edwards death, but they also did everything they could to keep him from being harmed or from injuring himself or anyone else,” Ivey said.
Dana Jackson, a representative for the Edwards family, said what happened to Gregory should never have taken place.
“What happened to Greg shouldn’t have happened. He walked into that jail and he should have walked out of that jail and he did not,” Jackson said.
The Edwards family says they will continue to push for justice for Gregory and other families who have lost loved ones while in custody.
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