JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The medical examiner said a man who died at a hospital shortly after being arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in April 2024 died of natural causes.
Justin Knight was arrested on March 30 for trespassing and drug possession. He was taken to the hospital just hours after booking and died days later.
The medical examiner diagnosed Knight with “chronic drug and alcohol abuse,” and he had hypertension (high blood pressure). Read the report below.
His family believed he was battered and had multiple organ failures, and they held a rally the week of his death, seeking answers.
Knight, 36, died at the hospital, but Knight’s family and friends want to know more about what happened to him while he was in JSO custody before he was taken to the hospital. They believe details are missing.
During a vigil for Knight, Knight’s wife said the timeline from his arrest to death doesn’t add up.
“If anybody could gain knowledge from what happened to my husband, he wasn’t a bad person; he fell on some hard times,” his wife said.
According to a JSO report, around 3:50 a.m. the day he was arrested, he was showing signs of “excited delirium” and was deemed “self-harm” by the nurse at the Duval County Jail. He was combative and kicking, yelling and hollering, JSO said.
JSO said during the booking process, due to the self-harm, he never received an initial medical screening.
By 4:05 a.m., there was a recommendation for him to go to the clinic and two minutes later, he was found unresponsive in the cell. At 4:16 a.m., paramedics arrived and took Knight to UF Health for treatment.
“I’ve got two children that don’t understand why their dad was at the hospital and the doctors didn’t make him better. That’s something that I’ve got to deal with on a weekly basis that people don’t understand. I’ve got an 8-year-old son that talks about his dad very often,” his wife said.
Knight’s wife and family believe that JSO was neglectful leading up to his death.
“We have to hold people accountable for their actions just like they would hold us,” Knight’s brother said.
JSO released a statement saying in part: “Justin Knight died while receiving medical care at a local hospital, outside of JSO custody. Following his arrest, Knight began showing signs of medical distress soon after his jail admission. Appropriately, he was transported to an area hospital. While admitted at the hospital his bond was posted.”
It is unclear if the family plans on filing a lawsuit.
