A man spoke out about a terrifying encounter with Florida deputies who handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a patrol car before opening fire on the car.
That shooting happened on November 12, 2023, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Authorities were sent to McLaren Circle that morning after dispatchers received a couple of calls from that area. Okaloosa County deputies were first called about a car driving around, honking its horn, and disrupting the peace since 3 a.m. that morning.
Then, a woman called the sheriff’s office to report her boyfriend, 22-year-old Marquis Jackson. She said Jackson had allegedly committed grand theft auto and was sending her threats through texts and phone calls, according to WKRG.
Deputies met the woman who showed them pictures of a firearm silencer in her car. Jackson arrived on the scene shortly after and was questioned by police before being searched, handcuffed, and placed in the back of a patrol car driven by former deputy Jesse Hernandez.
Jackson’s girlfriend also said Jackson had a silencer and more than one weapon but never said where they were. Jackson was unarmed during the entire encounter.
Meanwhile, other deputies found the woman’s car on a street a few miles from McLaren Circle.
According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, after hearing the car had been located, Hernandez returned to his vehicle to search Jackson again when he heard a “pop” sound he thought was a gunshot and thought he had been struck by gunfire.
Bodycam footage shows Hernandez rolling on the ground and moving away from the vehicle while yelling, “Shots fired!” several times before firing into his patrol car where Jackson was being held.
Jackson wrote on Facebook that he remembers the horrifying moment when Hernandez opened fire.
“As soon as that was announced multiple shots were fired at me while I was stuck in the backseat. All I could do was lean over and play dead to prevent…
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