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In The Defense Of Deputy Jarred Tazewell The Importance Of Public Access To Police Videos |
October 1, 2019 |
~ Garth Brooks (1992)
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Our publication, VolusiaExposed.Com has been active for nearly ten (10) years. During this time frame, many of our critics have alleged that our publication is "anti-police officer". The truth is, our publication is "anti-corrupt police officer". On occasions, we find ourselves placed in the editiorial position of coming to the defense of a law enforcement officer. The recent events surrounding Flagler County Sheriff Deputy Jarred Tazewell is one of those occasions. The Flagler County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) determined that on April 23, 2019, FCSO Deputy Jarred Tazewell, used excessive force against the person of jail Inmate Mark Duncanson. As captured by a jail surveillance camera, Inmate Duncanson threw a medical walker striking Deputy Tazewell on and around his facial area. Deputy Tazewell immediately responded with one fist punch to Inmate Duncanson's face. VolusiaExposed will not debate whether Deputy Tazewell complied with, or violated, the FCSO's use of force policy. Since it is their policy, it is for the FCSO to determine whether there was, or was not, a policy violation. This publication will instead conduct a "common sense" review of Deputy Tazewell's response to being assaulted by Inmate Duncanson. We shall make our own determination of whether Deputy Tazewell's actions were rationale and responsible, given the circumstances of the incident. This publication understands that the supportive documentation (see right of page) indicates that Inmate Duncanson suffers from mental health concerns, which affects his overall legal responsibility regarding his battery against Deputy Tazewell. However, this doesn't mean that Deputy Tazewell should have had to stand by, and allow Inmate Duncanson to commit battery against him. Deputy Tazewell had the right to protect himself. With Recommendation To Terminate Tazewell's Employment Upon the completion of their internal affairs investigation, FCSO determined that Deputy Tazewell had used excessive force against Inmate Duncanson, and made a recommendation that Deputy Tazewell deserved to have his FCSO employment terminated. There is an old adage, "that a picture speaks a thousand words". Fortunately for the public, and in the end, for Deputy Tazewell, this is the twenty first century, and many incidents now transpire under the watchful eye of a video camera. This publication has reviewed, and now provides to the public, a copy of the jail surveillance video (see upper right of page). We invite you to review the video, and determine for yourself, whether Deputy Tazewell's response was reasonable, or was it an excessive use of force? It's the OPINION of this publication, that Deputy Tazewell's application of force was justified, and measured. The Officer John Z. Pickett Incident The Deputy Tazewell incident reminds this publication of the January 2015 incident involving South Daytona Police Officer John Z. Pickett, and his handcuffed arrestee, Parker Neil Beasley. Pickett, like Tazewell, was accused by his department of using excessive use of force against Beasley. Beasley spat on Pickett while handcuffed in the back of Pickett's patrol car. Pickett's reaction was to slap Beasley. Like in the Tazewell matter, Pickett was fortunate to have a video recording of the incident. Unfortunately, for Pickett, and unlike Tazewell, the State Attorney actually criminally charged Pickett with his alleged battery of Beasley. Pickett was eventually acquitted at trial, and the last we heard, had returned to his duties within the South Daytona Police Department. VolusiaExposed.Com was an early supporter of Officer Pickett. While we felt that Officer Pickett slapping Beasley might not have been the best response, it did not support his termination, or his arrest. When an arrestee spits on, or at, an officer, that's a biologicial attack, pure and simple. A slap in the face, is nothing, compared to being subjected to all sorts of communicable diseases. And when a jail inmate throws a walker in your face, we don't think it's unreasonable, or excessive force, for the deputy to protect himself, by throwing one fist punch back, in order to disengage the inmate. |
April 23, 2019 Flagler County Jail Deputy J. Tazewell vs. Inmate Mark Duncanson Flagler Sheriff's Office Internal Affairs Investigation Deputy Jarred Tazewell Click Below Text To Open As A PDF Document 
---------- Flagler Sheriff's Office Recommendation To Terminate Deputy Jarred Tazewell Click Below Text To Open As A PDF Document 
---------- Flagler Sheriff's Office Case Disposition Memo Deputy Jarred Tazewell Click Below Text To Open As A PDF Document 
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Over the last three decades, surveillance video of police actions have become a very important investigative tool in determining whether police actions were reasonable and appropriate, or abusive. Sometimes, like in the 1991 Rodney King incident out of Los Angeles, California, the video was captured by a civilian, recording the abuses of police officers. This was also the case, in July of this year (2019), when a group of prison inmates, using a smuggled cellphone, video recorded several Florida State corrections officers beating down a fellow prison inmate (see Lake Correctional video - right of page). As reported within our August 1, 2019 article, several of these corrections officers are now rightfully facing criminal charges for excessive use of force, and for filing false reports. While South Daytona Police Officer John Pickett was initially charged with excessive use of force, and, Flagler Deputy Jarred Tazewell now fights to clear his name, and regain his career, we (VolusiaExposed.Com) are of the OPINION that it was the surveillance camera that restored Pickett back to his career, and it will again be the jail's surveillance camera, that provides Deputy Tazewell with the justice he deserves. Without those videos (Pickett & Tazewell) the public would have had no choice but to accept the findings of police administrators, that both Pickett and Tazewell had engaged in actions of excessive use of force. . |
January 2015 The Officer John Z. Pickett Incident ---------- July 8, 2019 Lake Correctional (Clermont, Florida) Incident ---------- March 3, 1991 Rodney King Beating Incident |
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Without the Rodney King video, the public would have had to accept the assurances of LAPD, regarding whether they used excessive force against Mr. King. Thankfully, both the South Daytona and the Flagler Sheriff's Office realize the importance of publicly releasing these surveillance videos. Some law enforcement agencies are known for their reluctance, and / or down right refusal to release these use of force videos, while in the same breath, claiming to be transparent to public review. To Release The Jail Surveillance Video As was reported within our September 25, 2019 article, titled, A RECIPE FOR HOMICIDE. MURDERED BY THE BREVARD SHERIFF'S OFFICE?, we explore our suspicions that in December 2018, members of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) DID use excessive force against the person of U.S. military combat veteran, Gregory Edwards. Official reports indicate, that shortly after the deputies' application of force, that Edwards, while still in police custody, died at a local hospital. The local medical examiner ruled the manner of Mr. Edwards' death to be "an accident". Our investigative report, questions the validity of a medical examiner's conclusions. Dr. Qaiser, the local M.E., has a past disciplinary history with government regulators, attached to the filing of false reports, and for his poor record keeping practices. Given Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey's past statements regarding the importance of "transparency and investigative integrity" (see above linked - September 25, 2019 article), we further explored why Sheriff Ivey refused to allow the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to conduct the Edwards death investigation, since several of his deputies were suspected of using excessive force during the incident. Obviously, the BCSO had an investigative bias regarding their inability to fairly conduct the Edwards' death investigation. In addition of Ivey not desiring FDLE to review the facts, and the evidence attached to Mr. Edwards in-custody death, we explored the rationale for Sheriff Ivey's refusal to publicly release the jail surveillance video, which recorded the events surrounding Mr. Edwards death. Our article uncovered other undisclosed and interesting facts surrounding Edwards' death. We invite you to read our latest article regarding Mr. Edwards' in-custody death - and decide for yourself, if Sheriff Ivey should release the jail surveillance video. Information has been received that the Volusia County jail is currently conducting their own excessive use of force investigation, with a possible cover-up. We have been advised that this incident was also caught on jail surveillance cameras - stand by to stand by - it's only going to get more interesting from here on out..... |