JACKSONVILLE, Fla — New video of former Bradford County Sheriff Deputy Jacob Desue shows him pulling a bail bondsman out of a truck at a gas station in Bradford County.
Desue is the same deputy who handcuffed and held ebony Washington, a Jacksonville mother at gunpoint during a traffic stop.
Action News Jax’s Nick Gibson spoke with colonel Brad Smith with the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office.
He says this incident with the bail bondsman happened in January all over a suspect who was supposed to be booked in to jail that night.
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“They were driving into the parking lot at the Circle K and all of a sudden one of the bails bondsman jumped in the back of the car a grabbed his son,” says Desue.
He says this caused deputy Desue who was first on the scene to act hastily.
“He went and grabbed the guy out of the back seat to stop him from choking the guy,” says Smith.
It turns out the man Desue wrestled to the ground and cuffed was the bail bondsman, not the suspect.
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We’ve also learned Desue and the sheriff’s office entered what’s called “a last chance agreement,” essentially requiring Desue to behave properly on the job or risk losing it.
But according to Smith, that agreement wasn’t reached because of the January incident involving the bails bondsman, but a March episode when he said Desue didn’t take orders from his superior.
“Now we had the incident back in January when the behavior was inappropriate towards the public. Now he is showing this behavior toward his supervisor,” says Smith.
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Action News Jax law and safety expert Dale Carson says these last chance agreements are something that’s new in the law enforcement field.
“An agreement, a contract if you will. Where I agree to do certain things to get a course on how to treat people in these situations.
Desue’s pattern of behavior, ending with his treatment of ebony Washington, ultimately led to his resignation.
Action News received a statement from Washington’s attorney, John Phillips he says in part “Instead of assisting with apprehension, former deputy Desue tackled the bondsman and put a knee on his upper back or neck while the “bad guy” got away. Much like in Ebony Washington’s case.
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