Columbia Sheriff: Deputies involved in arrest of legally blind man disciplined
Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter announced Tuesday that two deputies have been disciplined after an administrative investigation into a recent arrest of a legally blind man.
Body camera video has been circulating online of the Monday, Oct. 31, arrest of James Hodges, 61, who was arrested for resisting arrest without violence.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
The allegations of policy violations against the two deputies were sustained, Hunter said.
Hunter said Deputy Jayme Gohde will be suspended without pay for two days and he also said Sgt. Randy Harrison will be demoted, suspended without pay for seven days and he “will not be eligible for any favorable action for two years.”
Both deputies will be required to undergo remedial training pertaining to civil rights, Hunter said.
On the day Hodges was arrested, Gohde believed Hodges was carrying “what appeared to be a silver (chrome) pistol with a white grip in his back right pocket,” according to the arrest report. The item was later identified to be a folded-up walking stick.
RELATED: Columbia Sheriff ‘troubled’ by body camera video from arrest of legally blind man
Hodges was crossing Marion Avenue near Duval Street “when the traffic control device indicated not to walk,” the report said.
The report said Gohde approached Hodges to identify what was in his back pocket, but said he “continued to turn away,” the report said.
Hodges refused to provide his name and date of birth and told the deputy they were “only allowed to request his identification if he was in the act of committing a crime, about to commit a crime, or had already committed a crime.”
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Hodges was then handcuffed and his ID was found in his front left pocket after a pat-down.
Harrison arrived and asked Hodges if he was legally blind and Hodges confirmed he is. Harrison asked Hodges why he wasn’t using his walking stick and Hodges said he didn’t need it in the daylight. Hodges told both deputies he used the stick as he walked to the courthouse for jury duty.
Hodges was booked into the Columbia County Jail just before 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 31, and was released just before 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1. On Thursday, Nov. 3, Hodges requested the body camera video from his arrest and got it the same day, Hunter said Tuesday.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Prior to Hodges being given the video, Hunter said “a likely policy violation was discovered” and a patrol lieutenant and captain were directed to investigate the arrest.
Hunter said Hodges had not yet filed a formal complaint at the time deputies directed to investigate the arrest. Arrangements were made for Hodges to complete a sworn statement at a later date upon his availability.
“As sheriff, I take full responsibility for this event and want to extend my sincere apologies to Mr. Hodges for the actions of my deputies,” Hunter said in a video posted to the CCSO Facebook page on Tuesday. “I do not feel these deputies’ actions were guided by ill intent but rather by frustration and failure to rely on their training.”
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
