Police arrested a legally blind man in Florida after they mistook his cane for a weapon, prompting the sheriff’s office to investigate and temporarily suspend the deputies involved for their behavior.
The man arrested, James Hodges, has filed a formal complaint against the Columbia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office, a spokesperson with the office told USA TODAY. The involved officers were Deputy Jayme Gohde and her supervisor Sgt. Randy Harrison, the spokesperson said.
Sheriff Mark Hunter said he was “troubled” by what he saw in the bodycam footage of the incident in a statement released by the sheriff’s office on Monday.
Hunter also released a video statement on Tuesday and said the deputy involved will be suspended without pay for two days. Her supervisor will be demoted immediately, suspended without pay for seven days, and won’t be eligible for any “favorable action for two years,” Hunter said.
Both the deputy and her supervisor will have to undergo civil rights training.
A walking stick mistaken for a weapon
In the viral video taken shortly after 8 a.m. on Halloween in Lake City, Florida, about 60 miles west of Jacksonville, an officer approached a man who identified himself as James Hodges and asked what was in his back pocket. Hodge told the deputy it was a “navigational aid” and asked why the deputy wanted to know.
The deputy asked him for his name and date of birth but Hodges refused to give up the information.
“It looked like you’re carrying a gun in your back pocket,” the deputy said. “I’m stopping to make sure you’re carrying it properly.”
He eventually pulled the cane out of his pocket to show the officer, who still wanted to see his identification.
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Shortly after, the deputy’s supervisor approached Hodges and said he was stopped because the deputy thought he was carrying a weapon.
“Really?” Hodges asked. “Now, she’s asking me for ID. I don’t need the ID unless there’s reasonable or articulated suspicion and I have committed a crime … or am about to do a crime.”
He was later handcuffed and told the officers he’s legally blind and keeps the cane on him to help him walk. The officers got his identification and eventually arrested him for resisting an officer and obstruction.
At multiple points during the incident, Hodges asked for the officers’ identification.
Aftermath of the arrest
According to the sheriff’s office, authorities launched an investigation on Nov. 3 when they found out about the incident. The investigation started on Nov. 3 and was completed by Nov. 7, Sheriff Mark Hunter said in a video statement this week.
In a video on Nov. 8, Sheriff Hunter said multiple community members have reached out with concerns about the arrest.
He said Hodges requested bodycam footage of the incident and received it the same day.
“During the review process, prior to it being released, a likely policy violation was discovered,” said Sheriff Hunter in the video.
Hunter said that one of the deputies involved is a patrol sergeant, so the patrol lieutenant and captain were told about the arrest and told to investigate.
“Allegations of policy violations against these two deputies were sustained,” he said.
He apologized and said he doesn’t think the deputies’ actions were “guided by ill-intent,” but instead frustration and “failure to rely on their training.”
He called their behavior “unacceptable” and said he’s saddened about “the negative impact that this has on our agency.”
“We do make mistakes and we take corrective action to fix them,” Hunter said. “This is how we get better.”
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757 – and loves all things horror, witches, Christmas, and food. Follow her on Twitter at @Saleen_Martin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.