A Florida police officer is set to be fired after accidentally shooting a man with his own firearm during a traffic stop, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred on December 13 when a 39-year-old driver was pulled over for running a red light. Three officers, including Officer Mindy Cardwell, responded to the scene.
The driver was described as “very cooperative” by police, and he informed officers that he was carrying a gun. The report from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office states that the driver was asked to exit his vehicle, and officers told him they would remove the weapon from his person. The man complied.
According to the internal affairs report, Cardwell attempted to remove the firearm from the driver’s waistband holster. In the process, she unintentionally applied pressure to the trigger, causing the gun to discharge and strike the driver in the leg.
The driver later told investigators that Cardwell “jerked” the weapon several times while trying to remove it. He also said he asked the officer if he could loosen his pants to help the situation, but she continued to manipulate the weapon, ultimately causing the shot to go off.
Once the officers realized the driver had been shot, they immediately provided aid, and he was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Following the investigation, officials determined the discharge was accidental, and while the shooting wasn’t considered criminal, it was found that Cardwell demonstrated “gross incompetence” in handling the firearm. Evidence, including photos from the report, showed that Cardwell’s fingers were inside the trigger guard while attempting to remove the gun, something she didn’t realize until reviewing the body camera footage.
In the report, Cardwell explained that due to her position relative to the driver, she had to use her non-dominant hand to retrieve the weapon, which led to the mistake. She admitted responsibility for the incident and expressed regret, saying she wished she had done things differently, such as slowing down or allowing another officer to remove the firearm.
On Tuesday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the termination process for Officer Cardwell had begun.
