Two Florida police officers punished for handcuffing a blind man after mistaking his cane for a gun

A few days ago, the morning was cloudy and the vast majority of cars were circulating with their lights on in Lake City, in Florida's Columbia County.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
14 November 2022 Monday 13:31
33 Reads
Two Florida police officers punished for handcuffing a blind man after mistaking his cane for a gun

A few days ago, the morning was cloudy and the vast majority of cars were circulating with their lights on in Lake City, in Florida's Columbia County. Police Jayme Gohde saw a man, later identified as 61-year-old James Hodges, cross a roadway when the traffic light indicated that he was not allowed to do so.

The uniformed woman addressed the passerby and things got complicated. What began as an action to protect a citizen ended with his arrest, in yet another demonstration of the abuse of power, but also of the psychosis that exists due to weapons, which are rampant in the United States. Hodges did not understand why he had to identify himself and the agent became alert when she observed, in the back pocket of the man's pants, what she considered to be a silver (chrome) pistol with a white handle.

"It is an object to help navigation," replied the questioned, who questioned what his interest was due to. "Are you going to stop me, is this tyranny?" he told her. Hodges is a legally blind man. Gohde mistook the typical cane used by the blind for a weapon. Although that citizen took the object out of his pocket and unfolded it, he ended up handcuffed and detained. A video, which has become viral, shows how the whole incident took place.

Hodges filed a complaint against the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, which also implicates Gohde supervisor Sgt. Randy Harrison. Sheriff Mark Hunter said he was “concerned” about what he had seen in those images recorded with the uniform camera.

He also made a video statement in which he explained that the agent involved was going to be suspended from employment and salary for two days. Her supervisor was immediately demoted, in addition to receiving seven days without a job and pay and no chance of promotion for two years, Hunter said. The two must undergo a training course on civil rights, after determining that both had committed infractions when carrying out their work.

"As sheriff, I take full responsibility for the incident and would like to extend my sincerest apology to Mr. Hodges for the actions of my deputies," Hunter added.

Speaking to a Jacksonville channel, a city near Lake City, Hodges thanked the large amount of support he has received. “It makes me puff out my chest, not in a sense of pride, but of being highly appreciated,” he said.