Jacksonville officer accused of holding high school boy at gunpoint, using excessive force

Action News Jax Investigates is learning a JSO officer is under internal investigation after allegedly holding a 17-year-old at gunpoint after a crash.

A crash report obtained by Action News Jax lists the incident as a “collision with a pedestrian.”

Harmony Williams says the off-duty JSO officer pointed a gun at the boy after sideswiping him on their walk home from the bus stop.

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The alleged incident happened April 1st on Old Middleburg Road South in Jacksonville Heights.

Only on Action News Jax, Williams tells us she saw the officer's truck turn around and speed towards them after hitting her 17-year-old friend.

"I had to move out of the way so he wouldn't hit me," Williams said.

She said the officer got out of his truck, grabbed the boy by his hoodie and dragged him onto a sidewalk along Old Middleburg.

"When I looked back up, there was a gun pointed to him,” she said.

Williams said she tried to pull her friend away from the off-duty officer, but was unsuccessful.

“I approached him because I knew it wasn't right," she said.

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She tells Action News Jax reporter Ryan Nelson she asked the man if he was an officer, to which he replied "yes."

Williams said she also asked the man to show her his badge, and tells us he then pulled it out from underneath his shirt.

According to the crash report, the off-duty officer “… got out of his vehicle and announced that he was a police officer and detained the pedestrian so he would not run.”

She says he proceeded to manhandle the child.

"He picked his foot up, and put it behind the boy, and slammed him on the ground," said Williams.

A short time later, she says other officers responded and completed a crash report.

Williams tells us the off-duty officer told police responding to the scene the boy had thrown a rock at his truck, damaging the side mirror.

The redacted report does not mention an altercation, a gun being drawn or a rock being thrown.

The boy's mother, La-Nesha King, sent us a picture of the scrape on his shoulder, and says the picture also shows a scratch on his chest caused by the officer.

King and Williams' mother have filed excessive force reports with JSO, and internal affairs is investigating.

“I don't really think he should wear that uniform and serve the JSO force,” King said. “Because he's really putting a bad name to those officers that we do have to help us.”

JSO responded to our request for comment, saying the matter remained under investigation, and the findings would be made available for the public.

Action News Jax has also requested the officer’s complete history.

The 17-year-old boy was cited for walking into the roadway where there was a sidewalk available.

The family said he did so because the sidewalk comes to an end.

Cox Media Group