JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A police report from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is shedding light on an incident that happened following a teen takeover at Blue Cypress Park in Jacksonville last week.
A video obtained by News4JAX showed the chaos that erupted at the park involving over 200 teenagers.
The video was blurred and the audio was removed. Press the play button above to watch.
According to a separate JSO incident report, a juvenile male who was part of the teen takeover group was hit in the face by an officer while resisting arrest at a nearby McDonald’s.
The report says officers monitoring the teens saw a juvenile who appeared to be directing part of the crowd to cross the roadway at University Club Boulevard and Fort Caroline Road without using the marked crosswalk. Officers say the juvenile then entered the McDonald’s on Fort Caroline Road.
When officers asked the juvenile for identification, they said they refused to comply. An officer grabbed the juvenile’s wrist, the juvenile resisted, and the officer delivered one closed-fist strike to the juvenile’s face as a counter move, according to a JSO report.
The officer says he then performed a modified takedown, and the juvenile was detained with his hands placed behind his back. The report does not name the juvenile or give their exact age.
News4JAX asked the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office about the encounter.
JSO responded with the following statement:
“Cell phone video and body-worn camera footage of this incident have been reviewed, and it was determined that there are no policy violations regarding use of force.”
Three teenage girls, ages 12 and 13, were also arrested Wednesday after the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said its officers shut down the takeover at Blue Cypress Park.