- Police in Jacksonville, Florida pulled over a man for allegedly running a red light.
- Upon contact, they suspected he might have stolen the GMC SUV he was driving.
- While attempting to remove his firearm, an officer accidentally discharged the weapon.
Sometimes, routine traffic stops take a turn for the bizarre and occasionally, the downright dangerous. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office didn’t mince words, labeling an officer’s actions as “incompetence” after an investigation revealed she unintentionally fired a shot into a driver’s leg. While the victim, Jason Arrington, survived, the officer’s career at the department did not.
The incident happened on December 13 when police reportedly saw Jason Arrington run a red light. Officer S. Lowry pulled him over and noticed that the steering column in his GMC Yukon was badly damaged. “This observation, coupled with Mr. Arrington’s disclosure that he was armed with a firearm, was the reason Officer Lowry directed Mr. Arrington to exit his vehicle so that officers could secure his firearm,” said the department in a statement.
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Mr. Arrington cooperated fully with the officers but things went sideways once he was out of his GMC. Officer M. Cardwell attempted to remove the firearm from Arrington’s waist. The weapon, while securely holstered, was a bit too tight to remove easily. Evidently, as she tugged on the gun a second time, her fingers accidentally contacted the trigger and the firearm went off.
The officers acted quickly, applying a tourniquet, locating the entry wound, and doing their best to control the bleeding until EMS arrived. While Arrington’s injuries were treated, the fallout from the incident was just beginning. Once the details began to emerge from the situation, internal affairs began an investigation.
It came to the conclusion that Officer Cardwell was guilty of incompetence leading to her dismissal from the department. In the wake of the incident, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office also implemented a new policy: officers will no longer remove firearms from individuals who are lawfully carrying unless that person poses an “articulable suspicion.”
Arrington, meanwhile, isn’t letting the matter rest. He’s filed a lawsuit against the department, adding legal complications to an already messy situation.