JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Three Jacksonville sheriff's officers have been found in violation of agency policy for their involvement in the public strip search of Ronnie Reed in 2022.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office internal affairs investigation into the incident was completed in September, but the results were just publicly released to our partners with the Jacksonville Tributary.
Reed was accused of selling cocaine at a gas station. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's report, officers saw a man agree to sell a homeless man cocaine for $20, provided by JSO, at a Mobile gas station.
A police body camera video of the incident shows an officer putting Reed in handcuffs. The video shows Reed asking the officer what they were looking for. A second body camera video, where Reed's family were present during the arrest, shows a police officer putting on gloves and then unbuttoning Reed's pants, exposing his buttocks and searching his private area and backside.
Officers didn't find drugs or money on Reed. The charges against Reed were later dropped.
According to documents from the internal affairs investigation, officers Joel Belgard and Nicholas Hackley performed the search, and were found in violation of JSO policy. Another officer involved also violated policy by turning-off his body camera.
"The fact that the pulled his pants down and exposed his buttocks is a violation in itself," Ken Jefferson, First Coast News crime and safety expert, said.
After the Tributary released the results, First Coast News reached out to JSO, who confirmed the three officers were given written reprimands. In the email representatives stated that:
"Officer Belgard received discipline of a Written Reprimand Level Two for Failure to Conform to Work Standards and Officer Hackley received discipline of a Written Reprimand Level One for Failure to Conform to Work Standards. When situations have occurred where officers are found to have been in violation of JSO policy, JSO ensures appropriate corrective action is taken, which sometimes includes formal discipline of officers."
The email went on to say;
"...the JSO policy at the time of this incident, which is the same policy still in effect today, states in Order 201 (Arrests) that “In accordance with Order 612 (Corrections Search Procedures), strip searches of arrestees shall only be conducted by corrections officers and body cavity searches shall only be conducted by designated medical personnel.”"
The officers involved are still employed with JSO, but our crime analyst says this disciplinary action will go on their records.
"If another serious incident happened, and he had already received a level two reprimand he could be suspended or terminated," Jefferson said.
JSO representatives say that all police officers receive training concerning searches.