Multiple shots for a banal work of nature.
A police officer in Florida (United States) emptied his magazine towards a suspect who was handcuffed after he thought he heard a gunshot, which was in fact the sound of an acorn having fallen on his patrol vehicle, demonstrated an investigation by the local sheriff.
The facts, difficult to believe but illustrating the psychosis linked to weapons in a country where they abound, took place in broad daylight on November 12, 2023 in Okaloosa County, according to a video made public by the local sheriff this Tuesday, February 13 .
Eight weeks of investigation for… an acorn
The video shows the police officer, named Jesse Hernandez, as he prepares to return to his vehicle parked along the sidewalk, under an oak tree.
Inside the car, sitting in the back seat and handcuffed, is a 24-year-old suspect who has just been arrested.
It was at this moment that an acorn fell on the roof bodywork, as determined by the eight-week long investigation, which resulted in a 44-page report.
The sound of the falling acorn can be heard in the body-worn camera recording of Jesse Hernandez who, precisely 1.1 seconds after the harmless impact, begins shouting "Gunshots!"
Fire !
".
Two officers emptied their magazines on the vehicle
Then, in a completely excessive reaction, the police officer threw himself to the ground, rolled over, drew his service weapon and fired multiple times at his own patrol vehicle.
" I am touched !
I am touched !
“, we hear him shout in the video, even though no one is aiming at him.
New bodycam footage shows Okaloosa County, FL Deputy Jesse Hernandez declaring "shots fired!"
and “I’m hit!”
and shooting at the handcuffed, unarmed suspect inside of his police car.
He had not been shot, rather, it was determined that he heard an acorn drop onto the car.
pic.twitter.com/D71fddl5V7
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) February 13, 2024
At the same time, a colleague of the police officer, who was also outside the vehicle, also drew her weapon and in turn emptied her magazine towards the vehicle.
Miraculously, the handcuffed suspect in the back seat was not hit by the multiple bullets that struck the car.
The investigation showed that this man, Marquis Jackson, suspected of a trivial theft, was not carrying any firearm.
The police officer in question resigned
Officer Jesse Hernandez, a former soldier recently recruited into law enforcement, was convicted of excessive use of deadly force.
According to the investigation report, he explained that he mistook the sound of the falling acorn for the detonation of a silenced pistol.
He resigned from the police.
“I admit that this was a truly dramatic and traumatic moment for Marquis Jackson and we are so relieved and grateful that he was not injured,” said Sheriff Eric Aden, before publicly apologizing to him.