Jacksonville sheriff’s office releases body camera footage from fights at Georgia-Florida game

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says their officers “acted within policy to protect themselves and nearby fans” during fights at the Georgia-Florida game.

Videos of the fights inside EverBank Stadium circulated around social media after the game. Action News Jax, Channel 2′s sister station, reported that the sheriff’s office launched a review into the videos.

On Monday, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said his department reviewed the videos and determined that officers did not violate any policy. The sheriff’s office walked through the body camera videos at the news conference.

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“In the first incident, the suspect was asked multiple times to leave and threatened the officers attempting to remove him,” the sheriff’s office said. “The suspect later grabbed one officer’s firearm. In the second incident, three suspects were asked to leave due to aggressive behavior toward other fans. They then became combative with officers, with one individual grabbing an officer’s face and holding onto his service belt.”

“While the use of force can appear intense, our investigation determined that the officers in both incidents acted within policy to protect themselves and nearby fans,” the sheriff’s office said.

First incident

The first incident happened around 4:20 p.m. Saturday. Cell phone video captured Walter Brown, 39, being tasered and pushed into the stands.

Waters said Brown was arrested after police said he pushed and threatened a stadium worker. Brown claimed she was trying to kidnap his children after police said the children tried to access an area they did not have tickets for and she told them to get their parents.

In the body camera video, police say you can see the officers try three different times to get Brown out of the stands using minimal force.

At one point during the altercation, JSO Commander Jacob Vorpahl said the video shows Brown reaching for the officer’s gun.

Police also say Brown made a death threat against the officer and used racial slurs against the officer, who is Black.

“I’m either going to kill a cop or not leave,” Brown could be heard saying on the video.

Second incident

In the second incident, which happened just before 7 p.m., three people were reported to be threatening people and getting in their faces, JSO said.

A fan went up to a police officer to get help with the situation. When the officer arrived, the video shows a S.A.F.E. worker pointing to three people that they told the officer needed to be ejected.

The men did not comply with commands to leave.

Vorpahl said Michael Long, 58, was shown in the video in “a fighting stance.” Social media showed Michael Long’s head being hit several times by an officer, but Vorpahl said the video posted to social media was edited to not show Michael Long’s hand in the officer’s face and covering his eyes before that.

Alexander Long, 27, was seen on the video jumping on Sgt. Beasley in a “bear hug,” Vorpahl said. Also arrested in this second incident was 42-year-old Brandon Boley.

Waters said officers were met with other instances of violence while working the Georgia-Florida game. A JSO horse was punched in the face, and six officers were hurt.

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