Florida Cop Charged After Shooting A Driver With His Own Gun

Arrington said the accidental shooting has made it harder for him to work.

An officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in Florida has been charged with incompetence after a traffic stop late last year ended in a driver being shot with their own gun.

On Jan. 21, the sheriff’s office released bodycam footage of the Dec. 13 incident that injured Jason Arrington, a Black man, who People reported was stopped for running a red light.

Arrington, then 39, told Officer Shaun Lowry, a white man, that he was carrying a gun. Florida law allows for concealed carry of guns, with or without a specific license, if they meet the criteria for having one.

Lowry thanked Arrington for his honesty and told him to exit the vehicle for their safety. As he began to do so, two other officers approached his driver’s side door to remove the gun from a holster on Arrington’s waist.

However, one of the officers, identified as Mindy Cardwell, had difficulty removing the weapon. According to an incident summary, Cardwell “unintentionally placed multiple fingers inside the trigger guard of the firearm, causing the firearm to discharge.”

Officers took Arrington to the side of the road as officers called for backup and tried to stop Arrington’s bleeding ahead of medical personnel arriving at the scene.

Arrington entered the hospital in stable condition, but he revealed at a December press conference that the incident has impacted his ability to work.

“It messed with me as far as me working and stuff,” Arrington said, who works in physical labor. “Certain things in my job I can’t do no more, perform, like getting up on equipment and stuff, different things.”

An investigation into the matter resulted in Cardwell charged with incompetence. She now faces termination proceedings by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.