Frightened Sheriff’s Deputy Opens Fire On Vehicle and Unarmed Man

There's no doubt that police officers have a complicated and challenging job. The responsibility to protect and serve one's neighborhood is a noble calling, and those who answer the call should, without a doubt, be praised.

I know many police officers and sheriff's deputies, some of whom are my kin, and they give their all daily, knowing that it's possible they won't come home.

Given that fact, officers are sometimes given wide latitude to do their duty of protecting the public. However, an officer or deputy sometimes steps so far over the line that something must be done. That happened a few months ago in Okaloosa County, Florida, but we're just now learning about it.

Falling Acorn Scares Sheriff's Deputy Who Then Opens Fire On His Vehicle And The Unarmed Man Inside

Imagine for a moment you're walking by your car, parked under a tree, and an acorn falls out of that tree and lands on your vehicle. What would you do in that moment?

If you answered: drop to the ground, roll around, claim you've been shot, and then fire 18 rounds from your gun back into your car while there is an unarmed man in the back seat, then you are of the same mindset as Deputy Jesse Hernandez of the Okaloosa County Sheriff.

According to the Washington Post, it took Deputy Jesse Hernandez and another deputy Sgt. Beth Roberts, just 8.745 seconds from when the acorn hit the patrol car to begin firing.

Inside the car, while it was being fired upon, was Marquis Jackson, who was being detained due to a domestic dispute. Jackson, who was handcuffed inside the back of the patrol car, had been searched and did not have any weapons.

All I could do was lean over and play dead to prevent getting shot in the head. I was scared to death and I knew all I could depend on was God! I ignored everything and prayed! Windows were shattering on me the whole time as bullets continued flying across me. I was blessed not to get hit by any bullets or get hurt physically but mentally, I’m not ok. I haven’t been the same since and I don’t think this feeling I have will ever change. I truly believe I’m damaged for life! As shots stopped firing, officers started telling me to put my hands up. Mind you I’m handcuffed, so I can’t. I reminded them that they handcuffed me.
-Marquis Jackson

After Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden started an investigation into this incident, Deputy Hernandez gave the following statement to an investigator:

I heard sounded what I think would be louder than an acorn hitting the roof of the car, but there's obviously an acorn hitting the roof of the car
-Deputy Jesse Hernandez speaking with investigators

Hernandez, who has since resigned from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, was cleared by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office of any wrongdoing. While the report states he did use excessive force by shooting 18 times at a vehicle with an unarmed inside after an acorn fell on the car, it's believed that Hernandez genuinely feared for his life and, therefore, his actions were not wrong.

There is something seriously wrong with our country if what this deputy did was considered justified.