Jacksonville police officer arrested on charge of official misconduct
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville police officer was arrested Friday on a third-degree count of official misconduct, Sheriff TK Waters said.
The arrest of Officer Cecil Grant, 36, was announced by the sheriff at a news conference.
In December, Waters said, Grant, a nine-year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, responded to a call at a home and a resident was arrested on unknown charges.
When Grant’s body-worn camera footage was reviewed, as well as another officer’s body camera video, investigators found that the events depicted showed that Grant’s arrest report was inaccurate and that there was no probable cause to arrested the occupant of the home, according to Waters. . He said charges have since been dropped against that person.
“The person should never have been arrested,” Waters said.
When asked why there was a discrepancy between the narrative in the report and what actually happened, Waters said, “Apparently he just didn’t want to tell the truth at that point. That’s all we can assume at this point.”
Waters said JSO investigators are working with prosecutors in the State Attorney’s Office on the case. He said body camera footage could be released “very soon,” pending the criminal investigation.
Duval County Jail records show Grant has since been released after his arrest.
It was the first arrest of a JSO officer in 2023 and the first under Waters’ administration. Waters said they are disappointed after this arrest, but the agency will move forward because their officers are not above the law either.
UNCUT: Press the play button below to watch the full press conference of Sheriff TK Waters discussing the arrest of a police officer.
In November 2014, Grant was involved in a fatal shooting following a traffic stop on the city’s Westside.
According to JSO, a man resisted arrest with violence and Grant stunned him several times to no effect. As the struggle continued, the Sheriff’s Office said, the man pulled the Taser away from Grant, and that’s when Grant shot him twice, killing him.
She was judged justifiable.
News4JAX also learned that Grant had three internal affairs investigations in 2022. The first was in April about an internal complaint and he received formal counseling. In June, he received a written reprimand for non-compliance with labor standards. Then, in July, he was blamed for a traffic accident where he received informal counseling and remedial training.
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