Thanks to the combined power of 21 GANNETT newspapers in Florida, expect the St. Augustine Record to devote more coverage to police misconduct issues around the State of Florida. This increased coverage of police abuses will not sit well with corrupt St. Johns County Sheriff DAVID SHOAR, who legally changed his name from "HOAR" in 1994, and once hoped for a statue or naming rights for the dodgy training and communications center. SHOAR is diabolically opposed to police body cameras, saying they promote a "false narrative" that "police need to be watched." In the words of the Roman satirist Juvenal, "Who guards the guardians? (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
We need a charter government with an ombudsman, inspector general and tight internal controls over the likes of SHOAR/HOAR.
From the Daytona Beach News-Journal sister GANNETT newspaper to our St. Augustine Record:
Daytona police officer suspended for sex with domestic violence victim
Frank Fernandez @frankfff
Feb 28, 2020 at 12:18 PM
Feb 28, 2020 at 2:39 PM
Daytona Beach Police Officer Johnathon Jackson had sex with the woman four days after he arrested her boyfriend, who at the time was a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, officials said.
A Daytona Beach Police Officer was suspended without pay for five days for having sex with a domestic violence victim after he arrested her boyfriend, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper at the time, according to documents.
Officer Johnathon Jackson’s off-duty sexual encounter with the woman four days after the arrest prompted prosecutors not to file a charge of aggravated battery, a felony, against her now ex-boyfriend, Patrick Hildebrandt, according to an internal affairs investigation.
Hildebrandt, 33, left the FHP after his arrest.
Jackson will serve the suspension over several months. He served the first day already on Feb. 17. He will serve the next four days on March 13, March 16, March 17 and May 25.
"Jackson developed an unprofessional relationship with a victim of a crime and became romantically involved," according to an internal affairs investigation from the Police Department.
The woman said that she "believed Jackson lied to her, victimized her, took advantage of her while in a vulnerable state, manipulated, and used his official position as an officer to befriend her for intercourse, but it was consensual," according to the internal affairs report about the encounter.
The Police Department’s investigation noted that the two had sex once, no other women had made similar allegations against Jackson and he said this was the first time he had ever done this.
"This investigation revealed nothing to fully support all of (the woman’s) claims of Jackson utilizing his official position to manipulate or take advantage of her as she was a willing participant and had several opportunities to end the matter, but didn’t," the report states.
Jackson was found in violation of policies which prohibit engaging in conduct that would tend to destroy public respect or confidence for the employee or department and that could compromise a criminal investigation, according to the investigation.
Jackson was also found in violation of a policy barring communicating with a victim, suspect or witness for any personal gain, which is punishable by up to termination.
Jackson earns $45,395 per year and is currently a school resource officer. He has been with the department since May 1, 2016, and has one other disciplinary action against him, a written reprimand on October 16, 2018 for using a data device while driving.
[READ MORE: Edgewater Police officer reprimanded after allegations he had intimate contact with woman in his police car.]
Daytona Beach Police Capt. Byron Williams wrote that "ackson’s behavior had grave consequences to include the refusal to prosecute a domestic violence suspect on behalf of the State Attorney’s Office and the possibility of degrading the public trust and confidence in this organization to effectively carry out the functions of law enforcement."
The 41-year-old woman said that she called police on July 3, 2019, to her residence, a beachside condo, according to the report.
Jackson responded, investigated and departed. Hildebrandt had left before Jackson arrived. Jackson later arrested Hildebrandt at his work and charged him with aggravated battery, the report states.
Hildebrandt resigned from the Florida Highway Patrol on July 19 for personal reasons, according to an email from Lt. Derrick A. Rahming.
The woman said that Jackson texted her a couple of days after Hildebrandt’s arrest asking how she was doing and then asked her out on a date "to make up for what had happened on her birthday with Hildebrandt."
She agreed to have Jackson come over and watch television at her condo on July 7, 2019. Jackson did so and while there walked across the street to get some beer, the report said.
The woman said that Jackson told her that they couldn’t be seen together because of the ongoing investigation, the report states. She said that Jackson also told her not tell tell anyone, also because of the ongoing investigation.
The woman said she became concerned at that time about allowing Jackson into her home. She said Jackson returned and they both drank beer and had sex.
"She said she didn’t know if she was going to get arrested, didn’t know what Jackson’s motive was, as he lied, and she was afraid, so she gave him whatever him (sic) wanted," the report said.
She said she last communicated with Jackson on Sept. 8 and initially revealed her interactions with him to Hildebrandt’s attorney on July 15.
She told the attorney, Jeff Higgins, that the night of July 3 had been a "blood bath" and that Hildebrandt had broken her nose, the report states. But she also described herself as the aggressor and that they frequently fought physically.
Jackson met with investigators on Nov. 20. The report states he told them that on the night of the incident "he wanted to develop a personal relationship with (the woman) because he felt they had built a rapport with each other and due to issues he was having in his personal life."
He said he was unsure who initiated contact on July 6, but they agreed to meet the next day. Jackson was off-duty late Sunday evening, July 7 when he visited the woman at her home, the report said.
Jackson said that after he returned from buying some alcoholic beverages at a 7-Eleven across the street, the woman pulled out a "let-out" couch/bed and they both watched television. He said shortly after that the woman initiated contact with him and they had sex.
Jackson said he had not intended to have sex with her that night and had only planned to watch television. He said the woman "forced the issue and he went along with it," the report said.
Jackson denied manipulating or befriending the woman for sex.
"He advised that he knew what he was doing was wrong but didn’t know why he didn’t stop their actions prior to intercourse," the report said.
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