In Okaloosa County, #Florida, a shocking incident unfolded as a sheriff's deputy, Jesse Hernandez, mistook the sound of a fallen acorn for a gunshot, prompting him to open fire. Hernandez resigned following the incident. Another deputy, Sgt. Beth Roberts, also fired shots, deemed reasonable as she acted in response to Hernandez's call of "shots fired."Â
The incident occurred during a response to a call involving Marquis Jackson, who was accused of stealing his girlfriend's car and making threats. Despite the initial report of a gun, it was later confirmed that Jackson was unarmed. The sheriff's office investigation concluded that the sound was likely caused by an acorn hitting the patrol vehicle.Â
Witnesses said they heard what they thought could have been a muffled gunshot, according to an OCSO news release. Three News 5 reporters listened to the body camera footage and did not hear the sound described.
In a public Facebook post, Jackson recounted the day he feared for his life. "A few moments later I hear an officer scream ‘I’m hit, he’s armed’! As soon as that was announced multiple shots were fired at me while I was stuck in the backseat. All I could do was lean over and play dead to prevent getting shot in the head."
Marquis Jackson's harrowing experience of being fired upon while handcuffed and unarmed underscores the urgent need for #abolitionnow.
Link: WKRG