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A Florida police officer has been fired after she accidentally shot a driver with his own gun during a traffic stop.
Officer Shaun Lowry, of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, stopped driver Jason Arrington for running a red light around 5:10 p.m. on December 13, 2024, according to an internal affairs report shared by the sheriff’s office. Officers Mindy Cardwell and Austin Weippert assisted in the stop.
Arrington, who police described as “cooperative” during the stop, informed Lowry that he had a legal firearm on his body. He complied with instructions to step out of the vehicle, police said on social media.
Cardwell then went to remove the weapon, identified in the internal affairs reported as a Glock .45 semi-automatic pistol, from a holster on Arrington’s waistband. According to the internal affairs report, Cardwell “put pressure on the trigger of the firearm, causing the weapon to fire a round into Arrington’s right leg.”
Arrington told investigators that Cardwell “jerked” the weapon several times, causing the discharge, according to the report. Cardwell told investigators that the holster was tight and “would not come off” Arrington’s waistband, and said she had been using her non-dominant hand to remove the weapon.
Police released bodycamera footage of the incident from all three officers. After the gun goes off, Lowry can be heard yelling “Holy s—!” and Weippert can be heard asking Arrington if he is OK. Weippert and Lowry instructed Cardwell to put the gun down, and the pair then radioed for help. Weippert can be seen helping Arrington over to the side of the road, and began applying a tourniquet. Blood can be seen on Arrington’s pants leg. Cardwell also helped provide first aid.
Arrington was transported to an area hospital in stable condition, the internal affairs report said. He told investigators that the injury had made it harder to do his job, which he said involved operating equipment like cranes and forklifts.
An internal affairs investigation into Cardwell’s behavior was launched. A charge of incompetence was filed against Cardwell, and she has been fired, police said.
Cardwell had been “working in an off-duty capacity” under the office’s Group Violence Intervention initiative, according to the report. The initiative is meant to reduce crime while fostering relationships between law enforcement and the public, local media reported.
The incident resulted in new policy from the sheriff’s office about how to deal with encounters where someone is legally armed, according to the internal affairs report. Now, officers should not seize a firearm if a person is lawfully carrying it, according to the report.
