Officer resigns after mistaking falling acorn for gunshot, fired at unarmed suspect cuffed in patrol car

Update:

On November 12, 2023, an incident involving Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputies in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, led to the resignation of Deputy Jesse Hernandez following an officer-involved shooting.

Responding to a disturbance involving Marquis Jackson, accused of grand theft auto and making threats, deputies apprehended Jackson after the victim reported his possession of firearms and a silencer.

During the ongoing investigation, Hernandez mistakenly interpreted an acorn hitting the patrol car as a gunshot, resulting in both Hernandez and Sergeant Beth Roberts discharging their weapons into the vehicle with Jackson handcuffed inside.

No injuries were reported, and subsequent investigations judged Hernandez’s response as not objectively reasonable, leading to his resignation, while Roberts was exonerated.