JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Newly release bodycam footage from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office proves a man lied to police about being roughed up during a traffic stop, according to JSO.
JSO said a man was charged with a misdemeanor for making a false official statement on Wednesday.
The man, who News4JAX is not naming since it was a misdemeanor offense, was pulled over for not wearing his seatbelt.
The officer learned that the man had a suspended license, so he gave him a ticket for each violation and had the car towed.
The man filed a complaint against a JSO officer a day after the traffic stop, saying that the officer used excessive force and illegally searched him during a traffic stop.
In the complaint, the man accused the officer of pulling him out the vehicle by his neck and chocking him with a seat belt.
After the complaint was filed, JSO began standard protocol in a situation as such and conducted an internal affairs investigation into the officer’s reported actions. Investigators reviewed the bodycam footage and discovered that the man’s “allegations were patently false,” according to JSO.
Bodycam footage showed the man removing his own seatbelt and getting out the car on his own.
Investigators also did not find any criminal or policy violations that the officer committed.
Since the man signed the complaint saying that the information he had given was true, detectives opened a criminal investigation on the man.
When they interviewed him, he reiterated that his statements were “accurate and truthful,” JSO said.
Detectives requested warrant for his arrest, and he was arrested and charged.
At a community forum last month, Sheriff T.K Waters said he will not falsely fire or discipline an officer if they did not do anything wrong, and shared this statement on Monday:
“As law enforcement, we have a duty to investigate all allegations of wrongdoing and ensure that justice is served. Our officers are held to the highest standards of professionalism and accountability, and we take complaints of misconduct seriously. However, it is equally important to hold those who file blatantly false complaints against our officers accountable. By taking decisive action in this case, we are sending a clear message that victimizing our officers in order to push an agenda will not be tolerated. We remain committed to serving our community with integrity, transparency, and respect, and we will continue to work tirelessly to maintain the trust and confidence of our citizens.”