Posted on 08/06/2010 11:37:43 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Off-duty officer wrestled with shopper, pulled gun on customers: report
A Fort Lauderdale cop whose off duty antics inside a 7-11 included wrestling with a shopper and pulling his gun on other customers is facing charges of battery and falsifying reports.
Officer Jason Hersh, 34, was served with a summons Thursday on the three misdemeanor charges for the incident last December inside a Fort Lauderdale beach store, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
Hersh, a 5-year veteran alleged in his reports that the shopper, Lee Ferrell, had made an aggressive move towards him, forcing him to tackle Ferrell.
But according to prosecutors, a surveillance camera inside the 7-11 showed Hersh to be the aggressor. He allegedly grabbed Ferrell and threw him outside after the two exchanged words inside.
Hersh, who wasn't wearing his uniform, then pulled a gun on the crowd that assembled to watch the scuffle, ordering them to go back inside.
Ferrell was arrested and charged with trespassing and resisting arrest. Prosecutors dropped the charges after reviewing the surveillance tape.
"What he writes in his report is contrary to what is seen on that video," prosecutor Spencer Multack told the Sun-Sentinel. Hersh has been on paid leave since December 9, and may be suspended without pay.
It wouldn't be the first time Hersh has been reprimanded. His actions in the May 2009 shooting of a man suspected of trying to cash a stolen check was called "careless" by an investigator who said he "unnecessarily" put people's lives in danger.
Two years earlier, in May 2007, Hersh was involved in another shooting involving a 15-year-old driver who took police on a high speed chase.
In both shootings, the suspects were seriously injured.
I could tell you some stories about Florida. But FReepers generally never believe them. Especially the ones in Florida.
Badge-lappers on deck in 3... 2... 1...
Gosh, how did we ever survive without having an army of gun-toting, dog-shooting unionized psychotics in every town running around stealing, shaking down, and shooting people while on the taxpayer’s dime?
Lap, lap, lap that badge.
I’m sorry you got your little feelings hurt by someone wearing a badge, but that’s no reason for you to act like a jackass as well....
How many family dogs has Hersh shot?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Im all ears. :)
Your posts suggest an immaturity that might be responsible for any trouble you might have when encountering LEO’s.
I’ll end by saying this: Yes indeed, some police are azzholes, but I can assure there is at least ONE azzhole in the profession you claim...take care....
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Who is running the show now?
In a twenty year career as a cop I am pretty sure that a cop has been:
1. A hero.
2. A coward.
3. brilliant
4. dumb as a box of rocks
5. overly aggressive
6. overly passive.
In other words, human. The problem with cops is an institutional problem. We have given the institution too much power. The founders of our constitution recognized that humans are not to be trusted with power. So they separated power. They made governing awkward and unwieldy.
On the other hand the modern municipality has nearly unlimited power. Why? Because the voters have given them un limited power. It's a monumental mistake. The only way I know to fix it is to vote against every police fire bond issue I see. Starve the beast. But city hall deserves the same fate. The really amazing thing is that with 50 states and I don't have a clue how many incorporated cities, how homogeneous they are in laws and powers. Everywhere I go, and I travel extensively in the 48 it's the same. Same cops with bad ass sun glasses and bad haircuts. Same draconian measures.
We have an institutional problem that can only be solved by citizens taking responsibility for their own safety, and drastically reducing the power of city hall in all aspects of life. The shooting of Erik Scott is just another symptom of a big big problem.
These days, if a cop accuses you of something, you are guilty until proven innocent.
You are correct. If your opponent is cheating, the only way to win a game is to knock over the board and scatter the pieces. This is what must be done. We have got to destroy the current paradigm under which law enforcement in America operates and replace it with something less dangerous.
I feel pretty safe in saying you DESERVED whatever mistreatment you received from the police.
This will be my last post to you, I just don’t have time to explain lofty issues to children.
I don’t know what that is... But it scares me! As soon as I saw “vaginal pipe” and “enema pipe” I knew I was ... In over my head! LOL (What a visual!)
I feel pretty safe in saying “your mom”.
It’s a douchebag.
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