A sheriff’s deputy in Florida has decided to resign after disturbing body cam footage displayed him holding an expectant mother at gunpoint during a traffic stop the other week, and threatening to shoot her while her three children cowered inside the vehicle.
Ebony Washington was driving from Gainesville to Jacksonville when she was pulled over by Bradford County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jason DeSue late last Friday.
The officer pulled over Washington, who is 4 months pregnant, for speeding, and she later admitted to going 75 mph in a 55 mph zone.
However, after pulling her over, the officer instantaneously produced his gun and started pointing at the terrified mother, claiming she had taken too long to stop.
The pregnant mother, on the other hand, who turned on her hazard lights and slowed down, stated that she was waiting to stop in a well-lighted location for the protection of her children in the backseats. This is a practice promoted by the police dept.
Despite this, DeSue threatened Washington, saying that if she moved, “he’d put [her] into the ground” and that “that’ll be your last mistake you’re gonna make.”
The interaction was so nervy that Washington instructed her terrified children to record it on a cellular phone, a video that later drew the attention of the deputy’s superiors after the family shared it on social networking sites.
However, after pulling her over, the officer instantaneously produced his gun and started pointing at the terrified mother, claiming she had taken too long to stop.
The pregnant mother, on the other hand, who turned on her hazard lights and slowed down, stated that she was waiting to stop in a well-lighted location for the protection of her children in the backseats. This is a practice promoted by the police dept.
Despite this, DeSue threatened Washington, saying that if she moved, “he’d put [her] into the ground” and that “that’ll be your last mistake you’re gonna make.”
The interaction was so nervy that Washington instructed her terrified children to record it on a cellular phone, a video that later drew the attention of the deputy’s superiors after the family shared it on social networking sites.
Following the release of the video on Sunday, the office distanced itself from the deputy, stating that they’d ‘taken action’ against him following classifying his behavior as ‘unacceptable’ and had ‘accepted his resignation.’
DeSue was a two-year veteran of the force, and police said they had previously dealt with him. They have also reinforced that the deputy’s actions was not based on race, despite the fact that Washington is African-American.
Washington was ultimately issued a ticket for speeding and left the scene, but as a result of what happened, he has managed to retain legal counsel and is contemplating filing charges.
