JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has released body camera footage of a traffic stop after a veteran claims he was racially profiled by officers during a November traffic stop. One of the officers involved is someone First Coast News has previously investigated for allegations of stalking and harassment.
On Nov. 24, Braxton Smith was at Pearl Express smoking a cigarette when he noticed officers circling the building. When Smith pulled out of the gas station, located at 3610 N Pearl Street, he said officers put their lights on to pull him over.
Smith said he slowed down to show he was not trying to evade officers but continued driving. He is a Black man and felt he was being racially profiled so he said he wanted to be in an area with lights and cameras, where he would feel safer. Eventually, Smith claims officers forced him off the road and he was stopped at the parking lot of A&G Thrift Store.
"You keep your fricken hands out of the window and shut your mouth," an officer can be heard saying to Smith.
Officers can be seen in the video yelling for Smith to put his hands outside of the car before pulling him out and cuffing him on the ground. One officer can be seen kneeling on his back and forcefully flipping him over to search his pockets.
The officer who said Smith didn't stop quickly enough is Justin Peppers. Peppers was the focus of an earlier First Coast News investigation after a local couple accused him of harassment and stalking after he repeatedly ticketed them for illegal tint. The couple even got a restraining order against him before a judge dissolved it.
Smith believes Peppers used excessive force. Peppers also threatened to arrest Smith and accused of failing to obey but Smith argued he was waiting to find a safer spot to pull over.
"They got me out of car and put me on the ground and literally put their whole force into my back to the point where like I have backpain and I'm a veteran. You know I'm a disabled veteran so like I had to go to the hospital you know and get a shot for the pain because it was just so excruciating," Smith said.
In the body camera video, an officer accuses Smith of trying to evade police. Police searched his vehicle while questioning Smith and reading him his Miranda Rights. Eventually, the officer uncuffed Smith and told him he wouldn't be arrested or ticketed because their ticketing system is down, and shots were fired nearby.
Crime and Safety Expert Mark Baughman says that patrol is part of a specialized unit that targets high crime areas.
"They're looking for people that may be casing areas to do burglaries or maybe robberies of stores as well as they could be looking for people that are dealing in controlled substances or drugs," Crime and Safety Expert Mark Baughman said.
Smith says he followed all of the officers' commands and never resisted. He has filed a formal complaint with JSO accusing the officers of excessive force and racial profiling.
"We got to create a blueprint the process on this is how you combat police brutality, racial profiling, excessive force and things of that nature that's being conducted by Jacksonville Sheriff's Office," Smith said.
First Coast News reached out to the Sheriff's Office for a statement about the body camera footage. We received a reply that JSO is "not at liberty to discuss the incident" as Smith filed a formal complaint with the Internal Affairs Division that is currently being reviewed.
Smith said he is a US Navy veteran who served multiple deployments. He can be heard telling the officers that he is a vet in the body camera footage.