Florida cop hears acorn fall on his car, runs for cover, empties his gun at police car with suspect inside.

[sop]

Cops arrested a suspect, searched, handcuffed and placed him in the back of the police vehicle. Arresting officer hears an acorn drop from a tree onto the roof of his vehicle, thinks it's a gunshot, runs for cover, dives on the ground, empties his magazine shooting at his own police car with the unarmed, handcuffed suspect sitting inside. Officer can be heard on body cam saying he's been hit. Partner also opens fire on police vehicle. This video is amazing: (edit: skip to 13:00 minute mark when shooting begins)

https://jalopnik.com/florida-cop-empties-his-gun-runs-for-cover-after-acorn-1851255383

[republianmushroom]

1. Cops a little jumpy. Maybe, they should find another line of work.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Way Too Much Of This

Every occurrence has them "legitimately" fearing for the lives and safety. An acorn?
Then 2 cops fire at a guy THEY KNOW is unarmed and handuffed.
I think there are way too many cops that need to be in a different line of work.

[Attilatheblond]

35. Also needed, random, manditory drug tests, too much steroid use by too many LEOs. It's bad for the mind.

Panic attacks are horrible and can make you feel like having a heart attack, faint, or control over limbs can fail. No cop should empty a magazine into a car with a suspect they KNOW was not armed at the time just because he heard a noise and went full fight/flight mode. That sort of person is too jumpy and should not be a cop.

[LeftInTX]

50. I made a donut/coffee joke, but I think steroids is a problem.

[ProfessorGAC]

58. A Reasonable Concern (nt)

[yagotme]

5. "Fine" another line of work???

Another line of work, then they can't "fine".

[republianmushroom]

9. Should of been a d instead of an e. Thank you for the spelling lesson, your day is now complete.

I will change it for you.

[yagotme]

10. Thanks. No charge for the lesson.

(BTW, my wife tells me I have a twisted sense of humor sometimes. Your post just tickled my funny bone.)

[ahlnord]

62. another correction

Correction: It should be "Should HAVE" instead of "Should OF." This mistake is more and more commonly made on the internet.

[coprolite]

12. Too much coffee?

Steroids?

Paranoid?

Why so nervous, too many skeletons in the closet?

[RoadRunner]

2. That's just nutty

[yagotme]

6. Yup. Literally.

Or, acorn-y, as the case may be...

[RKP5637]

4. Welcome to FloriDUH!

[GoneOffShore]

75. And here's a different way to deal with drunk driving.

Not saying that it happens like this all the time, because it doesn't, but still.

?si=Itk4K-JEap0sAQI4

[Torchlight]

7. When will acorns learn all they need to do is comply with law enforcement's demands.

Thoughts and prayers that officer Snowflake's wounds heal quickly, it may even bruise. The horror. The horror...

[SoFlaBro]

8. Because fucking Florida. That's why.

[oldinmtdem92]

11. extreme cowardice

not suited for any public service .whats wrong with police in America [too many hand guns everywhere in this country.]thanks asshole republicans.

[SarahD]

42. An incredible chicken.

He hides behind the car, loses control of his handgun, just completely blows it. He is so scared he can't function at all. They'll probably award him for heroism.

[Bucky]

70. One problem is there's too many cops

We're a heavily policed society -- in large part because we have more guns than people. But you got municipal cops, county cops, state cops, highway cops, university and school district cops, mall cops, constable cops, private security cops, transit cops, port cops, airport cops, border cops... So many job opportunities, there's just bound to be the occasional cop who isn't in the right line of work.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

13. Oh my god I actually lol'd. In the meantime, FTP. ETA:

I'm laughing at his dumbass double roll; I would pay money to see it. But hearing the screaming girlfriend...again, well, FTP.

[GuppyGal]

14. Well maybe if the country were not AWASH with firearms the cops wouldn't be afraid all the time. WHY are they not

the loudest voices about gun control?

[genxlib]

16. Beat me to it as my post came just after yours

That question as to why they aren't demanding gun control has vexed me as well. Makes no sense.

[redqueen]

26. That is an excellent question. nt

[unweird]

76. Simple answer, job security

Nt

[tanyev]

28. And why do so many of them support the political party

that’s been pushing guns like a drug dealer pushes drugs??

[Omnipresent]

32. I guess their jobs are boring and they want more shootouts...

To keep busy.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

33. Probably because they themselves like guns.

[genxlib]

15. That is some fucking terrible policework

If you properly searched and arrested the suspect, you should have no fear of him shooting at you.

One thing I will say is that beyond the bad policing, this speaks to one of the many underlying problems with our gun culture. Due to the proliferation of guns, the police have come to expect that every single interaction is potentially deadly. While there might be some theoretical truth to that, it has no doubt brought a level of jumpiness to their actions that makes them terrible at assessing situations.

They have become the proverbial cat in a room full of rocking chairs and it is make them as bad as they have ever been at determining what the real dangers are.

[Omnipresent]

38. "A cat in a room full of rocking chairs"

Should be in quotes on the sides of their cars!

[Oneironaut]

17. PTSD response?

That’s what I was wondering when I first saw this on Reddit.

That or just a trigger-happy cop. I remember some woman got shot and killed in Minneapolis after she slapped a police car, which the cop inside interpreted as a gun shot.

[sop]

19. Reportedly the cop had served in Afghanistan, probably suffering from PTSD, he was hired anyway.

The officer resigned while the incident was still being investigated.

[ExciteBike66]

18. I once had a window busted out by an acorn while driving...

I actually asked the passenger if he had been hit.

What I did not do was empty a clip in the direction of the squirrel who threw it...

[DC77]

20. The officer resigned

The first one, Hernandez. Not his partner, Beth. I actually read the article.

“Officer safety” is stressed over and over in training. Taken too far. Most people would agree this was awful. Shoot first and ask questions later is a bad policy. Also, any pop or noise should not be an excuse to empty your sidearm. Can’t you tell an acorn drop is different than a gun going off? Would be extremely loud even inside a car, right?

[Johnny2X2X]

25. Officer safety

Agree! These officers spend all their training being told they're going to die any second if they don't be overly aggressive with force.

Police officer is an incredibly hard job, and it can be dangoous, but it's far from the most dangerous job out there. But this was an example of that fear of danger being too much of a focus.

The bigger part of the difficulty IMO would be the psychological aspect of only getting to see people at their worst day after day and shift after shift. Rarely do police see people at their best, too often they only get to interact with people having one of the worst days of their lives. Being trained to handle and deal with that aspect of it emotionally is what's lacking IMO.

[Demovictory9]

51. If guy in police car had died, would jumpy cop just get to retire?

[newdayneeded]

21. this goes along with my gun nutter

theory. To see what would happen if you light a pack of fire crackers off in the middle of a gun show. lol

[Emile]

22. Damn

[Aristus]

23. A cop that jittery probably shit himself, as well.

They must have left that part out.

We seriously need to stop leaving police forces open to these otherwise unemployable cowardly shitheads.

[Celerity]

45. Pulled a Ted Nugent, aka pulling a Trumpy 'Diaper Donny' Special

cop that jittery probably shit himself

Link to tweet

[Ritabert]

24. What happened to the suspect?

[1WorldHope]

27. That is also my question.

[muriel_volestrangler]

30. Not injured at the time, but perhaps has PTSD

“A few moments later I hear an officer scream ‘I’m hit, he’s armed’!” Jackson said in the post. “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.”

Jackson said he was “scared to death and I knew all I could depend on was God! I ignored everything and prayed! Windows were shattering on me the whole time as bullets continued flying across me.”

He said he was blessed not to get hit by bullets or physically be hurt, “but mentally, I’m not ok. I haven’t been the same since and I don’t think this feeling I have will ever change.”

“I truly believe I’m damaged for life!”

https://news.yahoo.com/okaloosa-county-deputy-resigned-december-002609504.html

[Ritabert]

60. Thanks for the update

[spudspud]

39. Luckily it seems the suspect, Jackson, avoided physical injury.

Last edited Wed Feb 14, 2024, 06:13 PM - Edit history (1)

Also, no weapon was found. I'm sure the squirrel that dropped the acorn on the police car's top was initially laughing his ass off at the cop rolling on the floor yelling shots fired. With all the shots fired between Hernandez and Roberts at the car, and yet not hitting Jackson, I suspect the squirrel may have been hit instead.

[obamanut2012]

54. Incorrect, he is injured, just not physically

He has PTSD and has struggled mentally and emotionally since this happened.

Not a jab at you, but I wish reporters would remember that injuries aren't only physical.

[Bayard]

29. An acorn?

He'd never survive around here when the walnuts are dropping.

[Renew Deal]

31. What are they even shooting at?

Just a car?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

34. A car with someone they detained in the back.

[Renew Deal]

37. Right

I don't think they can even see what they're shooting. It seems irresponsible.

[obamanut2012]

55. And, he is shooting right at his partner

She is in the gunfire vector.

[DBoon]

40. You have entered the Florida zone

[struggle4progress]

41. "Good guy with a gun stops acorn"

[Blue Owl]

43. I think we know who the real nut is in this story

And it ain't the acorn....

[angrychair]

44. I'll be honest

I'm much more afraid of being shot by some unhinged cop than I am anyone else.

As we see here they can empty their guns into anything they want and it's all good.
If I empty my gun into a parked vehicle I'm going to jail.
One of my greatest fears is being shot to death for just reaching for my insurance card because some cop has a chip on his shoulder and an itchy trigger finger and they just get to go to work the next day like nothing happened and Im getting cremated.

[LeftInTX]

49. I worry about road rage. It's a real problem here. Vehicles and guns both.

[angrychair]

52. Especially in a state

With no requirements for training, licensing or background or mental health check.
Texas is the only place I've had someone hit my car, on purpose, then drive away. Used to live in Frisco and this person in a Nissan Titan just pushed on through to get around me into a turn lane, putting a huge tear in the side of the minivan we owned at the time. They never even paused. Just kept going like nothing happened.

[onethatcares]

61. your last sentence should be

"They get to retire and collect benefits the next day..............."

Just sayin'

[DVRacer]

46. It's the warrior cop attitude

This guy had no business being on patrol. It reminded me of Betty Shelby here in Tulsa. She shot first and asked questions later Terrace Crutcher was having an episode due to drugs. Only after backup arrived another officer fired his taser the pop coupled with her trigger finger caused her to panic.

[GreenWave]

47. How he was faking like he was shot.

Complainant screaming did not help communication.

Pro tip: No blood = not shot.

Why did they presume the suspect in the car was doing the shooting?

[obamanut2012]

56. The male cop thought that, because he is an idiot

The suspect was handcuffed and had been searched TWICE before being put in the back of the SUV. He screams the suspect is shooting from the back, but the window is intact. He literally is rolling and somersaulting away, drops a loaded mag, screams he's hit, crawls behind a Tesla, and when he is shooting he is endangering his partner, who is in his fire vector. He reloads and keeps firing.

She at least didn't keep firing after the mag ran out. She at least was questioning Cop1 and radioed for help.

[LeftInTX]

48. Too much caffeine!

He needs to lay off the donuts and coffee!

[Ziggysmom]

53. The sky is falling, Henny Penny Police!!!

?feature=shared

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

57. SQUIRREL!!!11!

bang, bang, bang

effin' squirrels throwing acorns, it's gotta stop

[tulipsandroses]

59. Has no business being a police officer

Goodness!! I am glad no one was killed.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

63. I think Jesse's gummy kicked in...

[Buns_of_Fire]

64. Florida. Good thing it wasn't a coconut.

I've been attacked by coconuts twice. One fell on my head (a baby one, thankfully), and one committed suicide by throwing itself in front of my motorcycle (that one taught me what a pound or two of subcutaneous gravel feels like). They'll sneak up on you, if you don't watch it.

[LeftInTX]

72. Aren't Norfolk Island Pines just as bad? 15 pound cones!

[mahina]

73. Getting bonked on the head by a coconut was in the top 5 causes of death in this town in the early 1900's

Might have been the top 10

Some people trim them, some don't and I look up frequently when walking on windy days.

aloha

[Kennah]

65. Nuts!

[Kennah]

66. Chances of being killed by a nut is low but never zero

[Kennah]

67. Dude seems squirrelly

[Kennah]

68. He seems to have misunderstood the directive to stop nuts

[TheKentuckian]

69. Panakin Squirreldodger is a real hero!

[Bucky]

71. Freeze frame at 13:10, he's unloading his clip into the back window and there's a lady on the street...

I think it's a lady, I might be wrong, but she was not 10º off from his line of fire. This could have gone very very differently, very wrong.

Understanding that a camera won't capture the full view of what the officer saw, there doesn't seem to be any particular target for him to shoot at. I'm glad he's moved on to a different line of work. I hope he gets the help he needs to deal with his PTSD.

[obamanut2012]

77. It is his partnet, Sgt Beth Roberts

Who was helping the complainant. Her body cam shows how dumb he looks and acts.

[ecstatic]

78. Hopefully the cop was tested for drugs and will be responsible for paying

for the damages to the car.