Action News Jax Investigates: Personnel file of JSO lieutenant accused of racist Instagram posts

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax has new information on an investigation we brought you last month involving posts on Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Lt. Trudy Callahan’s social media account.

The 20-year veteran has a personnel file 300 pages long. It includes commendations and her evaluations, showing she has been reprimanded before. After our investigation into her Instagram posts last month, her page has now been taken down. We found pictures showing a sketch of a black man with dreads, insinuating this is what all black men look like. We showed you the post of a black man in an ATM line where Callahan posted, “When you need money to get gas for the car you can't drive to the drive up ATM.”

Last month, Sheriff Mike Williams told us the pictures weren't acceptable.

"From what I saw, it was completely unprofessional and it's not indicative of an lieutenant within our organization," said Sheriff Williams last month.

READ: JSO Social Media Policy

We went through page after page of her personnel file. There are six pages worth of complaints that have been filed since 1996, the same year Callahan started. They include harassment, unnecessary force, unbecoming conduct and sleeping on duty. She has been suspended three separate times.

Action News Jax Crime and Safety Expert Ken Jefferson is a former JSO veteran. He says those complaints won't come into play in the current investigation.

“That won't be anything held against her because it's already happened and been investigated,” said Jefferson. “It paints a picture of this individual, particularly when you have consistent complaints.”

JSO is still checking into whether the internal investigation is still ongoing. We reached out to Callahan and the Fraternal Order of Police for a comment, but did not hear back.

Cox Media Group