Charles Faggart of Chop it Charlie's food truck. | gofundme
Published on April 10, 2025 at 5:06 pm
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The inmate who was critically injured Monday at the Duval County jail has died, according to his family’s attorney.
Charles Faggart, 31, was hospitalized after he was injured during some kind of incident at the jail. He died shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday, said attorney Belkis Plata of Belkis Schott Law.
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“Charles Faggart was a son. A father. A brother. A friend. He was loved. He mattered. And now he is gone — murdered by those sworn to protect,” Plata’s statement said. “We know there is video. We know there are witnesses. We know there are answers. And we are demanding them. … This family has a right to know what happened to their son.”
Faggart was a food truck operator jailed April 1 on charges of assault and criminal mischief, jail records show.
Sheriff T.K. Waters held a news conference Tuesday announcing Faggart’s injuries and the suspension of nine jail officers. But Waters has not explained how Faggart was hurt. He said he could not discuss the circumstances as the case is investigated.
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Waters said his detectives are investigating with assistance from the FBI. The State Attorney’s Office is conducting its own inquiry.
“This is an active, dynamic investigation that requires, amongst other things, the opinion of the Office of the Medical Examiner,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday. “JSO will conduct a thorough, complete, and comprehensive investigation in this case, as it does in every death investigation. Detectives have and will continue to remain in communication with the family through its attorney.”
Faggart’s family posted a gofundme appeal Tuesday, identifying him as the father of a 6-year-old son and a chef who operates Chop It Charlie’s food truck. The appeal said he was “fighting for his life.”
The gofundme had raised $4,891 of a $10,000 goal as of Thursday.
Plata’s statement Thursday said Faggart had been brain dead since Monday. She wrote that no one from the Sheriff’s Office, despite public statements claiming transparency, provided his family with any information about what happened. The family was not notified of the incident until Tuesday, she said.
“Not a phone call. Not a meeting. Not an explanation,” Plata’s statement said. “We intend to hold every individual involved in this tragedy accountable — both in the criminal justice system and in the civil courts. We continue to call on the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to do what is right — to show this family mercy — and to give them the dignity of knowing the truth before they bury their child.”
The Sheriff’s Office statement said: “Transparency is a priority for JSO. However, that priority does not supersede the agency’s commitment to maintain the integrity of criminal investigations. Once Sheriff Waters has answers, he will provide those answers to the Faggart family. Once the criminal case is completed, Sheriff Waters will share the details of this death investigation publicly.”
Two community groups said the incident proved the need for changes at the Sheriff’s Office.
Kelly Frazier, president of the Northside Coaliltion of Jacksonville, said the U.S. Justice Department should investigate Faggart’s death.
“The officers responsible must be held accountable, along with the sheriff who has mismanaged the jail,” Frazier said. “I reiterate that we must not only improve conditions in the jail and prevent further deaths, but also reduce the need for people to be in jail in the first place.”
The coalition called for an adult civil citation program, reform of the cash bail system, more mental health co-responders, an expanded Group Violence Intervention program and investment in underserved areas.
The Jacksonville Community Action Committee demanded civilian oversight of police conduct and a Public Safety Committee. The committee also repeated its opposition to spending taxpayer money for a new jail.
“It is clear that nobody is safe at the Duval County Jail under JSO and Sheriff T.K. Waters,” the group said in a statement. “Leaving the fox to guard the hen house has only led to disastrous results for our city.”
This story was updated April 11, 2025, to include statements from community groups.
