Newly released body camera video shows the moment a Jacksonville police officer fatally shot a Florida man during a routine traffic stop. The officer was reportedly charged and fired after the accidental shooting.
On December 13, 2024, Officer S. Rowley of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Department conducted a routine traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Jason Arrington. The officer accused Arrington of driving through a red light, but Arrington disagreed.
“Oh my god!”
Body camera video shows Arrington complying during the traffic stop and informing Officer Lowery that he had a gun.
“So what we're going to do, for my safety and yours, is to have you get out of the car,” the officer instructed Arrington. “And we're going to take the pistol away from you.”
The officer continued. “Then we'll issue your license, make sure everything is OK, and then send you on your way.”
Officer Lowry told two other officers at the scene that the driver was “very compliant” and “certainly had a handgun.”
Police body camera video shows Arrington getting out of the car and placing his hands on the roof of the truck.
Officer Mindy Cardwell can be seen on police body camera video attempting to remove the gun from Arrington's waistband.
“First she pulled the gun, then she pulled it again,” Arrington said. explained Before that, he added, “I don't know, she might have been nervous or something. And she gave two more hard tugs, and that's when it discharged.”
In the video, a gunshot is suddenly heard and Arrington can be seen collapsing in pain.
Lowry can be heard yelling, “Fuck you!”
“Gun owners in this state can now carry their guns without fear of being pulled over on the side of the road by a police officer, voluntarily revealing that they have a gun, and being shot with their own weapon. It should be.”
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said: statement“While Officer Cardwell attempted to remove the firearm, the gun discharged, striking Mr. Arrington in the leg.”
The bullet struck Arrington in the upper thigh and passed through his right side.
Body camera video shows Officer Caldwell putting his finger on the trigger of Arrington's handgun as he removes it from his waistband.
Within seconds, blood could be seen running from Arrington's legs and he needed help from officers to walk. Arrington can be seen wincing in pain as Officer A. Wypert applies a tourniquet to Arrington's leg. Officers then cut the pants off Arrington's leg and located the gunshot wound.
After the police fired, Officer Lowry could be heard saying “damn” to himself.
Lowry also told police that the police shooting was a “negligent discharge.”
in late December press conferenceArrington announced that he plans to file a lawsuit over the officer-involved shooting.
“I was very confused about things like work,” Arrington said. “There are many things in my job that I can no longer do, such as performing and standing up on equipment.”
“You have to get on top of trains, unload cargo, use forklifts, cranes, whatever you have to do on the job. It's kind of hard to do that. I can do it, but… It’s very difficult,” Arrington said.
Arrington's attorney — Kay Harper Williams — said“Gun owners in this state should be able to carry their guns without fear of being pulled over on the side of the road by a police officer, voluntarily revealing that they have a gun, and being shot with their own weapon. .”
Ms. Williams said she believes Officer Caldwell “did not have proper training” and “certainly did not follow proper procedures.”
Weeks after the incident, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office released a memo focusing on how police should crack down on citizens who legally carry concealed firearms.
“The burden of proving that an individual is not eligible to carry a concealed firearm rests with the investigator and is not an automatic presumption,” the memo states. read. “Unless the officer has a clear suspicion that the detainee poses a threat to the safety of the public or the officer, or the officer knows that the detainee is not eligible to carry a concealed firearm. , a police officer should not seize a firearm (i.e., it should not be removed from a holster, vehicle, pocket, bag, etc.) where someone lawfully carried it.
The Home Office launched an investigation and Mr Cardwell was continually accused of incompetence.
CBS News On Wednesday, the company reported that Caldwell had been fired.
A week after the traffic stop, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office dismissed the traffic violation against Arlington.
Police body camera footage of all three officers involved in the shooting at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office can be viewed. Official Facebook pageHowever, please note that the video is graphic.
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