A startling body camera video of a Florida sheriff’s deputy holding a pregnant woman at gunpoint during a traffic check last week while her three children hid inside the vehicle has led to his resignation.
Jason DeSue, a deputy with the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, pulled over Ebony Washington late last Friday when she was traveling from Gainesville to Jacksonville.
Four-month pregnant Washington was pulled over by the police for speeding; the mother-of-three eventually admitted to traveling 75 mph in a 55 mph zone.
The encounter, however, was anything from a regular traffic stop; after pulling the woman over, the cop brandished his gun and pointed it at her in anger, claiming that she had been driving too slowly.
Washington was then threatened by DeSue, who said that she would be “put into the ground” and that moving would be “the final mistake you’re going to make.”
The situation was so uncomfortable that Washington instructed her terrified children to film it on a mobile phone. The family then shared the recording on social media, where it was seen by the deputy’s superiors.
The office distanced itself from the deputy after publishing the video on Sunday, stating in a statement that they had “taken action” against him after finding his actions “unacceptable” and had “accepted his departure.”
DeSue had been on the force for two years, and according to the police, he had previously caused problems. Additionally, they have argued that the ex-actions deputy’s were not motivated by race since Washington is African-American.
The horror started when Desue saw Washington speeding and tried to slow it down by turning on the lights of his cruiser.
Washington continued to drive for many minutes after slowing down and turning on her hazard lights, claiming that she was attempting to stop in a well-lit place so that her three children in the backseat would feel secure.
The bodycam video, which was released by the department over the weekend, shows the deputy ordering Washington to stop as they slowly traveled down the road while shouting already harsh threats at the lady.
The terrifying film shows DeSue threatening to “throw you into the ground” if the car isn’t pulled over.
Washington ultimately stopped her car at a roadside gas station stop, got out, and tried to calmly explain her side of the events to the deputy while holding out her hands.
Despite telling Washington that she was four months pregnant and that she had children in the vehicle, Desue nonetheless gave the impression that she didn’t care about his version of the events.
Desue pulled out his service pistol as soon as Washington got out of the car and aimed it in her direction.
While her children were filming the exchange, he told the mother, “Your apology means nothing to me right now, I don’t want to hear it.” In that video, one of the kids can be heard sobbing uncontrollably as the cop holds their mother at gunpoint before ultimately handcuffing her. Desue is seen restraining Washington in the bodycam video saying, “You make any movement it will be the final mistake you ever make, do not move.”
He can then be heard saying, “I ain’t concerned, I have my pistol,” shortly after.
Desue ultimately holsters his revolver after holding Washington down; the mother, who admitted to speeding, is still trying to explain what happened.
At one point in the conversation, Washington states, “I’m trying to tell you the sole reason why I didn’t quit.” “I have a master’s degree, and I am a highly intelligent lady.
“I was just not because it is dark outside and I am carrying three children.” Because I’m expecting, I didn’t want them to be uncomfortable.
But Desue, who in the now-viral video looked to be irrationally furious and irritable, wasn’t persuaded.
He commanded the shackled mother, “I don’t care about the why, shut up.” “Stop talking about the reason. Don’t worry about the reasons.
Washington finally received a speeding ticket and fled the scene, but as a consequence of the incident, he has now hired legal counsel and is thinking about pressing charges.
“I told him.” “Sir, I am pregnant. Four months into my pregnancy, “‘ In an interview with Good Morning America on Sunday, just after the Bradford County Sheriff’s office announced that Desue had left the police, Washington described the incident with tears in her eyes.
Washington informed the station that Desue was unnecessarily aggressive and frightening during the stop, and that she worried for her safety.
She said that she believed he would really toss her to the ground given how hard he was pulling her.
She maintains that the deputy’s remarks and actions were motivated by race, a charge that the sheriff’s office contends is untrue.
Colonel and Chief Deputy Brad Smith described the confrontation as “not at all a racist scenario,” adding that Desue “is a guy of color.”
Smith stated, “There was simply a degree of his not reacting to his training and ongoing discussions about how he was handling circumstances and he wasn’t adapting to it.”
Desue’s actions did not follow the department’s regulations, according to a Bradford County Sheriff’s Office official, who also referred to his conduct as “inappropriate.”
The office also said that they had previously had problems with him and that the cop has been in hot water, but they did not elaborate on the specifics of those transgressions.
Smith added, “The last time we had a problem with him, we got into what’s known as a “last chance” deal.” In essence, he presents his resignation.
And the sheriff may decide to accept that resignation if there are any other problems within a year, which is what occurred in this case, Smith added.
“At the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, we weren’t going to accept it. His verbal abuse was unbearable.”
Washington and her lawyer John Phillips, however, are not persuaded by the department’s assertions and insist that they will continue to pursue justice for the event despite having talked to the mayor.
The Mayor mentioned past problems with Desue in a conversation with Ms. Washington. He stated in a statement to Action News Jax, “We have now discovered that he has resigned.
Justice is defined in a variety of ways despite having a same spelling. This is a step in the right direction. While Ms. Washington regrets speeding, everyone should be aware that it caused an aggressive cop to retire and a public figure to acknowledge a problem.