Source: Douglas Rissing / Getty
For years the general public have been calling for police reform as we’ve become all too familiar with police officers that walk around with itchy trigger fingers and practice very flawed judgement out on these streets, and it seems like a police deputy in Florida (of course) has made the case stronger for such an initiative.
According to TMZ, Okaloosa County deputy Jesse Hernandez might’ve found himself becoming the butt of many jokes back at his station after his body cam recorded him letting off a clip on his own patrol car after he thought a perp they had handcuffed in the back of the vehicle had somehow let off a shot towards them. He did not. What actually hit the car was Mother Nature as she viciously dropped an acorn on the patrol car which prompted Hernandez to overreact and begin shooting at his car.
Even Hernandez’ partner was confused as to what was happening but joined in on the “shootout” and miraculously didn’t harm the suspect, 22-year-old Marquis Jackson, who they thought shot at them from the backseat.
This was straight out of a Police Academy movie, man.
TMZ reports:
Over the course of the investigation … Hernandez was made aware that what he thought he heard was literally just an acorn falling on his car’s hood. Hernandez ended up resigning in the aftermath of all this … and was not criminally charged.
From what we can tell, Jackson hasn’t sued, yet, but has told local media outlets he was “damaged” from what he went through.
Once the dust settled, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said this … “We are very thankful Mr. Jackson wasn’t injured and we have no reason to think former Deputy Hernandez acted with any malice. We are limited in further response due to pending litigation. But let this be clear, we understand this situation was traumatic for Mr. Jackson and all involved and have incorporated this officer-involved shooting into our training to try to ensure nothing similar happens again.
“They finished with … “Though his actions were ultimately not warranted, we do believe he felt his life was in immediate peril and his response was based off the totality of circumstances surrounding this fear.”
After investigating the matter, Okaloosa officials felt Hernandez’s use of deadly force wasn’t reasonable but gave his partner a pass as he was just following his lead in the incident.
Don’t be surprised if Jackson decides to sue the heck out of them for damn near taking his life over an acorn.
