JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said an initial investigation shows his officers at the Georgia-Florida game Saturday did not violate any JSO policy in the viral arrest videos circulating online.
A viral video posted Saturday from one side of the stadium shows two fans being punched by two officers. The video has garnered 34.8 million views on X. At one point in the video, one of the officers in uniform appears to punch a fan at least seven times. First Coast News obtained new footage Monday from a fan who attended the game. It shows a cellphone video of one of two altercations at the stadium that went viral.
Waters spoke to the media Monday at 5 p.m. The press conference lasted just under an hour as Waters provided an explanation of the incidents before playing cellphone and bodycam footage from each one.
The sheriff said the administrative reviews are ongoing, but the Professional Standards Division "has not found any of the involved officers violated JSO policy."
Waters started off the press conference by announcing the arrest of four men who are connected to the viral videos from the game. Walter Brown, Michael Long, Alexander Long, and Brandon Boley were all arrested.
Waters said the videos circulating on social media do not show the full picture of what led up to the officers using force. JSO’s Commander of Accountability, Jacob Vorpahl, played those videos and then played the videos from the officer’s body worn cameras.
The first incident took place around 4 p.m. Saturday. According to Vorpahl, a member of the stadium’s security team notified JSO that a man threatened her and claimed she was trying to kidnap his kids. When JSO officers told the man he was being ejected from the game, Brown became defensive. Officers asked Brown to leave multiple times, but he would not. The body worn camera shows Brown making threats towards the officers saying he would "kill a cop." One officer deployed his taser, but Brown still would not leave.
He was then heard on the body warn camera using a racial slur. The officer tried putting him in handcuffs, but he could be seen pulling back. That’s when the officer began striking Brown to get him to comply. The second officer deployed his taser, but Brown still did not comply. In one video, Brown can be seen holding the officer and reaching for the officer’s gun. The strikes continued until the officers could finally put Brown in handcuffs and take him out of the stadium.
Waters explained the officer was not striking Brown with the handcuffs; instead, the officer’s hand was closed into a fist around his handcuffs which is how officers are taught when they are using compliance tactics. Vorpahl noted the use of force stopped once the Brown was handcuffed and played a video taken from within the stadium to back up the statement.
The second incident took place between 6-6:30 p.m. Fans had been reporting issues with Michael Long, Alexander Long, and Brandon Boley, claiming the men were making them feel unsafe and making threats. Stadium security asked them to leave, but they did not. A fan then asked a JSO officer to help a member of security who was having difficulty getting the men to leave.
The video from the body worn camera shows the officer repeatedly asking the men to leave, but they would not. At one point, one of the men touches the officer. Two more officers then arrived to help. Video from the body worn camera then shows one of the officers try to pull Michael Long from the stands. Michael can be seen pushing off the officer. That’s when the initial officer begins striking Michael.
Additional video from the body worn cameras shows Alexander Long pushing another officer. A fan can be seen helping subdue Brandon Boley who is eventually handcuffed.
Waters believes the officers acted appropriately and followed their training. He reiterated all four men were asked to leave multiple times before officers used force.
One of the fans sitting in front of Michael, Alexander, and Brandon spoke with First Coast News before the press conference. Lance Harlin said he was enjoying his time at the game with his grandfather and did not know why the men behind him were being asked to leave.
“We're loud like everyone else there. My grandfather was with me. He's a Georgia fan. They were taking selfies together having a good time, back and forth, trash talking, but it was all fun and games. There was no violent behavior. Nothing over the top. That's why I was really concerned, like why the force was used like that,” Harlin explained.
Harlin caught most of the exchange on video which received thousands of views on social media. He said was concerned for his safety at one point.
“I did initially because they were fighting behind me and almost knocked me over. I just wanted to get out of the situation. But I mean, once they got him subdued, it was fine. But yeah, initially it freaked me out a little,” Harlin said.
Video First Coast News obtained Monday shows an incident from another part of the stadium. Jeremy Williamson, a fan who attended the game, told First Coast News he spent the second quarter of the game watching the encounter between the fan and two JSO officers in his section.
“He was shot three times with a taser and then he's on the edge of the stand,” Williamson said about the fan.
Williamson believes the altercation started over verifying digital tickets, but he was shocked to see the incident escalate so quickly.