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New Medical Records Show Man in Altercation With JSO Was Assaulted

John Laughon

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By Jackelyn Barnard

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- He went to jail on drug charges and left in a vegetative state.

First Coast News has been following the story of John Laughon, 37, for more than a year.

He was arrested in February 2005. While in the Duval County jail, Laughon, who suffers from seizures, had an altercation with police that landed him in the hospital with serious injuries.

The State Attorney's office investigated and found the officers were not involved in any criminal wrongdoing in the incident.

While there will be no criminal case, there is a civil case.

Laughon's attorneys are using medical records from Shands Hospital as their foundation.

Last year, records First Coast News Investigators uncovered showed Laughon had scrapes and bruises on his body. His arms and legs were tied. A spitguard was over his mouth and was covered in blood. Nurses found him with no pulse.

Now, there are new documents being released.

"It's startling," says Laughon's attorney, Sean Cronin.

Cronin says they have received documents where doctors at Shands claim Laughon was assaulted.

The document, dated the same day Laughon arrived in the ER at Shands, says Laughon was pulseless. He had an altercation with police. The staff member then checked a box on the form claiming Laughon was assaulted.

"These are outside people that have determined that he was assaulted by the police department," says Cronin.

According to the police report, Laughon was transported to Shands with minor injuries.

Shortly after the incident, JSO released a statement. "There were no outward signs of visible injuries requiring medical attention, but he was transported to Shands because of his mental health condition."

Seventeen months later, Laughon is out of the hospital. He is in a vegetative state at home being cared for by his mother.

The family is filing the lawsuit within the next week. Cronin says the new documents bolster their case.

JSO could not comment about the paperwork because of pending litigation.
Created: 7/10/2006 5:12:05 PM Updated: 7/10/2006 6:57:08 PM Edited by Jackelyn Barnard, Reporter
© 2006 First Coast News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.

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