Christopher Jordan shooting:Lee County NAACP protests State Attorney Amira Fox

Dan Glaun, Fort Myers News-Press
Updated ·2 min read
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About a dozen supporters of the Lee County NAACP rallied outside the Fort Myers office of State Attorney Amira Fox, Friday, protesting Fox's handling of the fatal police shooting of Dunbar resident Christopher Jordan.

"Amira Fox does not support black people and she don't like black people," Lee County NAACP President James Muwakkil said following the downtown rally, during which protesters chanted "No justice, no peace" and held signs calling for a grand jury to bring charges in the shooting.

On March 1, the Jordan family and the NAACP attempted to meet with Fox after sending an official request, the NAACP said this week in a news release. It said that while going through security, two unidentified investigators told them Fox wasn't in the office and she would contact them for a meeting the week of March 4.

In a statement, Fox pushed back on the NAACP's allegation that she was dodging a meeting with them.

"I will not disclose information in an active investigation and I will not share or discuss the contents of an active investigation with anyone outside of law enforcement. This would jeopardize the integrity of the investigation," Fox wrote in a statement. "Despite the reckless and irresponsible comments of the NAACP, I will meet with them when the time is appropriate."

Fort Myers police fatally shot Jordan, 58, on Dec. 1, after his sister called 911 to report that Jordan had threatened her with a gun. Police initially said that Jordan brandished a firearm at officers before he was shot, but have since refused to say whether a gun was found at the scene.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement led the investigation into the shooting and has turned its findings over to Fox's office for review.

Jordan’s relatives and the Lee County NAACP have questioned the police narrative, asking why Jordan was shot following a 40-minute standoff and saying he was not known to carry a firearm. They have also demanded that authorities release body camera footage of the shooting and the identity of the officer who fired the fatal shot.

Fort Myers resident Hester Young holds a signs while protesting in downtown Fort Myers Friday afternoon, March 15, 2024. Members of the Lee County NAACP held a rally in front of the office of the state attorney to protest the handling of the Fort Myers Police Department fatal shooting of Christopher Jordan on December 1, 2023.
Fort Myers resident Hester Young holds a signs while protesting in downtown Fort Myers Friday afternoon, March 15, 2024. Members of the Lee County NAACP held a rally in front of the office of the state attorney to protest the handling of the Fort Myers Police Department fatal shooting of Christopher Jordan on December 1, 2023.

But Fort Myers Police, FDLE and the State Attorney's Office have refused to discuss those details, citing the unresolved investigation. Fort Myers Police has released the 911 call and portions of body camera footage from the incident that did not include the moment Jordan was shot.

This week, The News-Press reported that local authorities' reluctance to release information about the case conflicts with federal guidance on how departments should handle officer-involved shootings. In a 2016 report, U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and the International Association of Chiefs of Police recommended that agencies disclose basic facts about those shootings as soon as a preliminary investigation is completed, to tamp down on speculation and build trust with the community.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Christopher Jordan shooting:Lee County NAACP protests State Attorney Amira Fox