A Florida deputy sheriff fired on his car after hearing a shot. The vehicle contained a suspect. Bodycam footage of the November shooting was recently released on social media.
This incident highlights the continuing concern over police force usage and the razor-thin margin of error in high-stress scenarios.
In Fort Walton Beach, Deputy Jesse Hernandez and other officers responded to reports of a stolen vehicle. Marquis Jackson was arrested in the police car.
When Hernandez heard an acorn’s sound, a series of wild events occurred.
An internal investigation report from January stated that Hernandez thought the sound was gunshots and had been shot. Hernandez also believed it to be a sound like a gunshot.
A video recorded by the bodycam shows that the man shouted “Shots fired!” several times, then fell to the floor and rolled. He then fired his semi-automatic gun into the patrol vehicle. The man yelled “Shots Fired!” several times before he fell, rolled, and fired his semiautomatic weapon into the patrol car.
Hernandez answers Roberts’s question, “In the car”, about where the shots are coming from.
Roberts shouts “Jesse, are you OK?” shortly after. Hernandez is heard saying, “I’m hit!” In the video, Hernandez can be heard saying “I’m Hit! I’m hit! ”
Roberts fired after Hernandez shot.
Hernandez, hiding behind a car parked on its side, crawling with his hands and legs, said, “He shot it.”
“I’m good. I feel weird but I’m fine,” he said.
A Florida sheriff’s deputy has resigned after he mistook a falling acorn for a gunshot, claimed he had been hit by a bullet, and fired at an unarmed, handcuffed Black man sitting in the back of his police car. Fortunately, Marquis Jackson in the back of the car was not injured. pic.twitter.com/0i11nYx1cl
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) February 14, 2024
Jackson miraculously avoided injury. In a Facebook post, he described how he “leaned forward and played dead” to avoid being shot. Jackson described the events that followed.
At that moment, the number of officers was visible. My mother’s pain and crying before I got into the ambulance is an image I can never forget. They removed the young clothing in the ambulance to check for injuries. When I arrived at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, I was still in handcuffs. They then took me to Okaloosa County Courthouse, where I was photographed and fingerprinted to enter the system. Each officer who I asked about my charges said the same thing… “I have no idea, we’re waiting for more details”. I sat in my cell for hours. Finally, I was told by an officer that I could leave the cell and had not been charged.
Jackson, who did not suffer any physical injuries, spoke of the psychological effects. “I have never been the same and I don’t think this feeling will ever disappear.”
Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office conducted an internal investigation, which determined that Hernandez’s usage was “not objectively reasonable”, leading to his resignation. Hernandez has not been charged with any criminal offenses.
Sheriff Eric Aden expressed relief that Jackson was not injured.
Sheriff Eric Aden has acknowledged that the incident is “traumatic” for the suspect. The incident will be included in the training of his other deputies.
He also said that he does not believe Hernandez acted maliciously.
Aden said that “though we do not believe his actions were justified, we think he felt his life was in immediate danger and his response was based upon the circumstances surrounding his fears. ”
The incident was not physically harmful, but it raised questions about the judgment and training of the law enforcement officers. This also serves as a caution to show just how quickly situations can escalate.
