Posted on 01/23/2025 6:52:31 AM PST by Red Badger
The wounded driver plans on suing. Newly released bodycam video shows the moment when a Jacksonville police officer shot a Florida man during a routine traffic stop. The cop was charged and reportedly terminated after the accidental shooting.
On Dec. 13, 2024, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office police officer S. Lowry conducted a routine traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Jason Arrington. The officer accused Arrington of driving through a red light, and Arrington disagreed.
Bodycam video shows Arrington being compliant during the traffic stop and informing Officer Lowry that he was armed with a gun.
"So what we're gonna do is — just for my safety and your safety — I'm gonna have you step out of the vehicle," the officer instructs Arrington. "And we're just gonna remove the pistol from you."
The officer continued, "Then we're gonna run your license and make sure everything is good, and then I'm gonna send you on your way."
Officer Lowry informs two other officers at the scene that the driver is "very compliant" and "he does have a pistol on him."
Police bodycam video shows Arrington exiting the vehicle and then placing his hands on the roof of his truck.
Officer Mindy Cardwell is seen on police bodycam video attempting to extract the gun holstered in Arrington's waistband.
"She tugged on the gun the first time, then she tugged again," Arrington explained before adding, "I don't know, she might have got nervous or whatever, and she pulled harder two more times, and that's when it discharged."
Suddenly, a gunshot is heard in the video, and Arrington is seen slumping down in pain.
Lowry can be heard screaming, "Holy s**t!"
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said in a statement, "While Officer Cardwell was attempting to remove the firearm, it discharged, striking Mr. Arrington in the leg."
The bullet hit Arrington in the upper thigh and went through his right side.
Bodycam video shows Officer Caldwell's finger on the trigger of Arrington's handgun as she removes it from his waistband.
Within seconds, blood is seen flowing down Arrington's leg, and he needs assistance from an officer to walk. Officer A. Weippert applies a tourniquet to Arrington's leg, and Arrington is seen grimacing in pain. The officer then cuts the pants off Arrington's leg to locate the gunshot wound.
Following the police shooting, Officer Lowry is heard whispering to himself: "Goddamn."
Lowry also is heard telling dispatch that the police shooting was a "negligent discharge."
In a late-December press conference, Arrington announced that he planned to sue over the officer-involved shooting.
“It messed with me as far as me working and stuff,” Arrington said. "Certain things in my job I can’t do no more, perform, like getting up on equipment and stuff, you know, different things."
"I have to get on top of trains and unload stuff, forklift, crane, whatever I have to do at my job. It’s kind of hard for me to do it. I can do it, but it’s challenging, like real bad," Arrington stated.
Arrington's attorney — Kay Harper Williams — stated, "Gun owners in this state should be able to carry their firearms without the fear of an officer pulling them over on the side of the road, then voluntarily disclosing they’re carrying a firearm, then being shot with their own weapon."
Williams said she believes Officer Caldwell "was not properly trained" and "certainly did not follow proper protocol."
Weeks after the incident, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office released a memo spotlighting how police should conduct stops involving a citizen legally carrying a concealed firearm.
"The burden of proving an individual is not eligible to carry a concealed firearm falls on the investigating officer and is not an automatic presumption," the memo reads. "Unless an officer has articulable suspicion that the detained person presents a threat to the safety of citizens or officers or has knowledge that the detained person is ineligible to carry a concealed firearm, officers should not seize a firearm (i.e. remove it from holster, vehicle, pocket, bag, etc.) from someone lawfully carrying it."
Internal Affairs launched an investigation, and Cardwell was hit with a sustained charge of incompetence.
CBS News on Wednesday reported that Caldwell had been fired.
A week after the traffic stop, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office dismissed the traffic citation against Arrington.
You can watch police bodycam footage from all three of the officers involved in the shooting incident at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's official Facebook page, but it should be noted that the video is graphic.
Jacksonville Cops haven’t changed since 1974 I see............
Appoint her to Bidens SS detail.
Female cops are cool when they are screwing every male cop on the force like that ugly chick that time. Where was that? Otherwise, they don’t belong on the force.
Well, one thing has changed......they don’t always shoot you with their gun......they shoot you with YOURS! LOL!
Great idea!
Fortunate that it didn’t get one of the big blood vessels or Mr. Arrington would have died.
He’s now financially set for life though, or ought to be.
No comment re the cop involved...
I just got my LTC - I think I’ll just take off the holster while driving. Counting on a law enforcement officer to safely disarm you seems like a bad bet.
Correct. It’s a physically challenging gig and its just a fact if life that females don’t measure up.
5 years in my church’s prison ministry I saw female prison guards moving around amongst inmates regularly......I never understood that.
“So what we’re gonna do is — just for my safety and your safety — I’m gonna have you step out of the vehicle, so that I can shoot you in the leg” she said
That’s why it’s always good to put the ‘safety’ on... Oops! She obviously assumed this dude would’ve done that, but for some reason he must have had the safety off... That’s on him, not her.
Getting shot by a cop with your own gun while legally carrying it......makes a great bar story if your fortunate enough to live to tell it. 😏
“Well, one thing has changed......they don’t always shoot you with their gun......they shoot you with YOURS! LOL!”
There is NO truth to the rumor that she asked the victim,
“Is THAT a pistol in your pocket, or, are you just happy to see me?”
What is strange is the officer instructing the driver what was going to happen was someone else, not the officer that had the ‘negligent discharge’.
Why did he think they needed to remove the pistol?
Bet it was a SW with a safety police department and a Glock on the citizen. You do not put your finger on the trigger no matter the state of the safety. Disarm yourself if pulled over, place it on the passenger seat. You hear about 3 to 4 discharges per year in every state that hit nobody but perhaps a citizens car gets ventilated.
“So what we’re gonna do is — just for my safety and your safety — I’m gonna have you step out of the vehicle, so that I can shoot you in the leg” she said.”
Ha ha ha .. . it’s FUNNY because it’s TRUE !!
“Otherwise, they don’t belong on the force.”
for the most part, you are correct. They is an obvious need though for a female auxiliary contingent to help and assist with female issues when necessary (escorting female victims, assistance with traumatized children etc)
but yeah, they shouldnt be out “on the street”
Safety on or off doesn’t matter......only way that gun goes off is she pulled the trigger......that is unless you apply the alec baldwin rule. 😏
And as we all know, the two most important rules of handling a firearm.
1. All guns are loaded.
2. Never put your finger on the trigger unless you plan on firing the weapon.
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