Viral Video of Blind Man’s Arrest Sparks Probe of Florida Deputies
Florida deputies may be in hot water after a video went viral of them arresting a man who said he was legally blind for seemingly nothing, with Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter conceding Monday that he was “troubled” by the footage.
The video, obtained and posted on YouTube by the man arrested in the incident, shows two deputies placing James “Jim” Hodges in handcuffs for refusing to identify himself. The 61-year-old repeatedly attests that he owes the cops nothing because he hadn’t committed a crime.
The two deputies didn’t heed his pleas, however, arresting Hodges on a charge of resisting arrest without violence. It carried a $1,000 bail, an arrest affidavit says.
After the video went viral, a spokesperson told The Daily Beast on Monday that the deputies involved are under internal investigation.
“Sheriff Hunter is troubled by what he has seen in the video and the matter is being addressed,” the spokesperson said in a statement over the phone. “If policy violations are sustained at the conclusion of that investigation, appropriate action will be taken.”
According to an arrest affidavit, the incident began on Halloween morning when Deputy Jayme Gohde watched Hodges cross the street despite a crosswalk beacon indicating he should wait. Gohde tells Hodges she stopped him because she thought he was carrying a weapon in his back pocket.
Hostility between Gohde and Hodges is present from early in the exchange. The deputy asked Hodges what was in his back pocket and the 61-year-old shot back that it was his walking stick, along with some choice words.
“It’s a navigational aid, what’s the problem, are you a tyrant?” Hodges says.
“Yeah, I am, actually,” Gohde responds. “What’s your name and date of birth?”
A heated argument ensues, with Gohde threatening to handcuff Hodges unless he identifies himself, while Hodges declares he doesn’t have to because he has not committed a crime.
The body-camera captures glimpses of Hodges’ back pocket and clearly shows he is carrying a silver, foldable walking stick.
Regardless, Gohde insists that Hodges must identify himself because he’s under investigation for suspicion of carrying a firearm. When the deputy insists that she’s still unsure of what he’s carrying, he whips the stick out and holds it in front of him.
“You don’t have to be a dick to me,” Gohde says to Hodges.
“Well you’re being one to me,” he shoots back.
Hodges then questions whether he’s being detained, and Gohde says, “Yes, you are.” Hodges requests to speak to her supervisor, to which Gohde gleefully replies, “He’s right here.”
Around the video’s minute mark, Hodges walks to a second deputy, who was not named in an arrest affidavit, and briefly explains what happened. The second deputy tells him the walking stick “could look like a weapon” and that he needs to identify himself.
“Do you have an ID?” the cop yells. Hodges replies, “I do have an ID but you don’t need it.”
When Hodges still refuses, both officers move to place him in handcuffs. He doesn’t appear to resist physically but continues to exclaim that the deputies have “no right to search” him as they go through his pockets.
Hodges then tells the deputies that he wants their names, badge numbers, and cards.
With Hodges handcuffed, the second deputy asks him if he’s legally blind. The 61-year-old replies that he is, and that’s why he carries the walking stick even though he doesn’t always need it.
Hodges told deputies that he had jury duty, which was just canceled, and he’d used the stick to help him walk in the dark to the courthouse in Lake City, Florida, about 45 miles north of Gainesville.
Deputies appear to run a quick background check on Hodges. The 61-year-old stares straight forward until the check is complete.
“Alright, Mr. Hodges, was that that hard?” Gohde is captured saying.
“It’s gonna be,” he responds. “I want your name and badge number.”
Hodges’ request appears to strike a nerve with the unnamed deputy, and he tells Gohde to arrest Hodges on a resisting arrest charge. Gohde then escorts the man to her cruiser and places him in the back.
Gohde did not return a call or text to a number listed in her name. Public records show that she’s 28 and lives in Lake City.
Sgt. Steven Khachigan told The Daily Beast that deputies will release the results of its investigation—and possible discipline—to its Facebook page. He did not say how long the investigation is expected to take.
A jail log shows that Hodges spent 26 hours in custody before being released on his own recognizance. He could not be reached for comment on Monday.
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