McLaren Circle, FL – A cop who unloaded his service weapon in the direction of an unarmed and handcuffed suspect for a disorderly persons investigation has resigned. According to reports, the officer confused an acorn dropping on a nearby vehicle for gunfire, sparking the response.
At one point, the officer claims he was ‘hit’ during the alleged acorn assault. Luckily, his aim was as poor as his judgment, and the suspect was not struck.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance on November 12, when a vehicle was reported driving around McLaren Circle honking its horn since 3 a.m. The situation escalated when a woman accused a man named Jackson, 22, of stealing a vehicle and sending threatening messages.
Jackson was detained by deputies around 9:09 a.m. and placed in Deputy Jesse Hernandez’s patrol car. During the investigation, the woman completed an affidavit for the stolen vehicle, mentioning Jackson possessed a silencer and multiple weapons.
While Deputy Hernandez was retrieving a Victim’s Rights form, deputies located the woman’s vehicle. Upon returning, Hernandez, thinking he heard a gunshot from the back of his patrol car where Jackson was detained, discharged his weapon into the vehicle. Sgt. Beth Roberts also fired in response to Hernandez’s actions. Despite the chaos, Jackson was unharmed, and no weapon was found.
Witnesses and review of body camera footage did not confirm the sound Hernandez reported. Following the incident, Hernandez resigned from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office on December 4. Sgt. Roberts, with the department since May 2008, was involved in responding to Hernandez’s perceived threat.
At this time, it has not been confirmed that the noise was from an acorn drop, but it has been confirmed that civilians fired no shots during the incident.