This bodycam footage from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office depicts a violent encounter with a stabbing suspect in Florida. Viewer discretion is advised.

The deputy arrives on-scene at 0:10, in response to reports of a stabbing. Several witnesses are waiting to inform him. He makes contact with the victim at 0:39, though his responses are inaudible. The witnesses begin trying to coach the deputy toward the suspect, who is lying in a tall patch of grass against the side of a nearby building.

At 0:52, the deputy makes contact with the suspect, immediately drawing his handgun and ordering the suspect to show his hands. At 0:58, the suspect moves suddenly and imitates shooting, in what appears to be an attempt to bait the deputy into firing. To his credit, the deputy ignores this and orders the suspect to raise his hands again. The suspect declines. At 01:04, the suspect rises suddenly, at which point the deputy transitions to his TASER. The suspects begins to cheat his way toward a nearby bucket. The deputy deploys his TASER at 01:12. It's possible that there was an incomplete circuit or that one of the darts missed, because the suspect remains upright and continues to move, grabbing the bucket and charging the deputy at 01: 14. The deputy backpedals, transitioning back to his handgun as the suspect closes in on him. At 01:17, he fires 3 times, hitting the suspect in the abdomen. At 01:34, a witness remarks "He killed that guy," as a backup officer puts the suspect in cuffs. The deputy tries to assist, but has yet to put away his weapon, resulting in a muzzle sweep.

Takeaways: The officer did the right thing in transitioning to his TASER, but as we see here, the TASER is not always an "I win" button for a conflict. Therefore it is incumbent on LEOs to train for possibilities such as this. While this person being suspected of stabbing someone (and therefore having a knife) may provide some justifcation for escalating to lethal force, I don't think the empty bucket checks that box. However, as disclaimer I must point out that I am not a lawyer or legal expert, and both this deputy's and your mileage may vary.

About the Author

Cole Simms

Cole Simms is an Air Guardsman, NASA enthusiast, police officer, and security contractor with particular experience in austere environments. Outside of work, he volunteers as a Stop The Bleed instructor for area schools. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and blends his knowledge and experience to write analysis for Funker530.

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