Gregory Damon: Tampa police officer fired after video shows him brutally dragging woman into jail
TAMPA, FLORIDA: The Tampa Police Department fired one of its police officers on Tuesday, December 28, 2022, after he was caught on camera dragging a handcuffed woman across the ground into the Hillsborough County Orient Road jail booking area in November. An internal investigation found that Officer Gregory Damon had broken multiple departmental rules during the incident on November 17.
Damon and other cops had been called early that morning to the Tampa Family Health Centers at 4620 N 22nd St in the Belmont Heights neighborhood as a woman was allegedly refusing to leave after she was spotted sleeping outside the property. According to police, the woman was warned for trespassing in the same home in October as well. Damon reportedly arrested her and took her to jail, the department said, as reported by 8 NewsNow.
READ MORE
Mary O’Connor: Police chief resigns for flashing badge to be excused for illegally driving golf cart
The woman reportedly refused to exit the patrol car and enter central booking when they got to the Orient Road Jail. Police on Tuesday, December 28, released footage from a body-worn camera that showed his interaction with the woman. Instead, police said the woman yelled at the officer “I want you to drag me!” when Damon told her, “I’m going to drag you out of this car."
In the video, the cop is seen taking the woman by the arm, dragging her from the car, and directing her toward a sign that reads "search your arrestee" over the entrance to the main booking area. Throughout her speech, the woman berates the officer in a rebellious manner. The officer stops dragging her and orders her to stand up but she stays where she is. She was being dragged toward the door by Damon. When he punched a call button, two Hillsborough County jail guards were sent outside to assist in bringing the woman inside, as reported by Yahoo News.
According to the police, the woman called the officer names and used profane language, but Damon is also accused of treating her badly. He broke norms governing public decorum as well as other policies. According to the department's protocol, police should ask the jail booking staff for help when dealing with disobedient detainees there. The individual can be lifted onto a restraint chair by jail authorities and wheeled inside the facility.
Supervisors at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office-run jail informed the Tampa Police Department about the event. The Professional Standards Bureau opened an investigation the following day. While the investigation was ongoing, Damon was let go from his position. While reviewing the officer's body camera footage, jail security film, and speaking with Damon, the investigators were unable to determine a specific reason for the policy violations. On Tuesday, after the conclusion of the investigation, Damon was fired. He had served as a patrol officer since 2016.
“Professionalism is not only expected, it is demanded, in every encounter our officers have with the public, regardless of the arrestee being uncooperative or unpleasant in return. As law enforcement officers, we are held to a higher standard,” said Interim Police Chief Lee Bercaw. “The actions of one individual should not tarnish the work of the nearly 1,000 officers protecting and serving our city who, on any given day, encounter people who choose to be uncooperative during the arresting and booking process; however, they do not let the actions of that individual deter them from following the policies and procedures put in place for safety. This former officer’s actions were unacceptable and are not tolerated at this department, which is why we acted swiftly in initiating an internal investigation, relieving him of his duties, and ultimately terminating his employment,” he added.
In a news statement reporting the event, Tampa police didn't mention the woman's identity. However, according to her booking documents, she is 46 years old. She has a homeless services facility in Tampa as her reported address. She was arrested for trespassing at 10:19 in the morning that day. She was released to a mental health facility a few days after being booked, according to the booking papers. Her criminal case is still being investigated.