JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A video that appears to show a Jacksonville Sheriff’s officer slapping a 29-year-old man during a traffic stop is under review, according to a statement from JSO.
The video was sent to News4JAX dozens of times by concerned community members.
According to an arrest report obtained by News4JAX, on Friday around 9 p.m., the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said Dwon Ellis was driving a dark-colored Nissan Altima on Canal Street when officers noticed he didn’t stop for a stop sign at the intersection of 13th Street West and Canal Street.
The report said Ellis turned west on 13th St. and an officer witnessed him drive through another stop sign. The officer pursued Ellis and pulled him over.
The officer told him why he was being pulled over and asked to see his driver’s license, according to the report. While the officer was talking to Ellis, the report said he smelled “burnt marijuana.”
The officer learned that Ellis’ license was suspended last year and asked him to step out of the car, police said. The report said the officer also asked Ellis if he had a medical marijuana card. The report said Ellis replied that “he does not smoke marijuana and does not know what hemp products are.”
(DISCLAIMER: The video footage contains graphic content and profanity. Viewer discretion is advised.)
The report said that Ellis was asked to step out of the vehicle and face the car so the officer could search him. That’s when the officer said Ellis began to “physically resist by turning his body,” the report stated.
Another officer stepped in to help restrain Ellis and placed his arms behind his back. The man continued to “resist by tensing his arms and pulling away” from the officers, the report said.
Once the officer placed Ellis in handcuffs, they began the search. The report said Ellis continued to resist.
The report did not mention a slap, but in the video recorded by a bystander, you can see the tense encounter as the officer repeatedly slams Ellis against the car.
The officer can be heard saying, “Stop pushing against us.” To which, Ellis replies, “I’m not doing s*** to you, man.”
The officer can be seen slapping Ellis in the face around 23 seconds into the video and repeating, “Stop pushing against us! And stop resisting.”
Ellis was arrested and charged with resisting an officer without violence, driving with a suspended license and two counts of running a stop sign.
He was released the following day.
According to the JSO’s inmate information website, the resisting officer without violence charge is listed as time served, the suspended license charge was dropped and the two counts of running a stop sign are listed as invalid.
News4JAX reached out to the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office and received this statement:
We are aware, and it is being administratively reviewed. As such, we are unable to comment further.
Police Officer A. Kelly, JSO Public Information Office
Natassia Woods whose son Le’Keian Woods’ arrest sparked outrage online in September said she was appalled when she saw the video.
“I was upset because it seems like it’s a continuing pattern with what they’re doing to the young Black men in the community. I feel like us as a community have to stand up together. So we can come together, find our solution for the situation,” she said.
Monique Sampson with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee feels the city should add a public safety committee to help bridge the gap between the sheriff’s office and the community.
“We cannot expect the police to investigate themselves because that is presumed not to be an effective strategy. So we have to have community members who are mostly affected by police brutality, police violence, how to say and how their communities are pleased. And I think that can bridge the gap for sure,” Sampson said.
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