A Florida police officer was fired this week after being caught on video dragging a handcuffed woman into jail, authorities said.
Gregory Damon was let go by the Tampa Police Department on Tuesday following an internal investigation, the agency said.
Damon became the center of a scandal when he and other officers responded to the Tampa Family Health Center on Nov. 17 and arrested a woman who was sleeping outside the property and refused to leave.
The same woman, who has not been identified, was previously given a warning and arrested by Damon for trespassing at the same spot in October, police said.
Bodycam footage of the woman’s arrival at Orient Road Jail shows her refusing to exit the squad car. She is heard yelling “I want you to drag me!” at Damon, who subsequently grabbed her arm and pulled her across the parking lot.
Police said that the detainee was not injured during the event.
“Throughout the incident, the female repeatedly used vulgar and obscene language,” the agency said. “Rather than remaining professional, Damon himself made rude and derogatory comments to the arrestee.”
The TPD was reportedly alerted to Damon’s actions by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. He was relieved of his duties on Nov. 18, pending the outcome of the investigation.
“Professionalism is not only expected, it is demanded, in every encounter our officers have with the public, regardless of the arrestee being uncooperative or unpleasant in return,” Interim Police Chief Lee Bercaw said.
“This former officer’s actions were unacceptable and are not tolerated at this department, which is why we acted swiftly in initiating an internal investigation, relieving him of his duties, and ultimately terminating his employment.”
Prior to his termination, Damon had been employed by the force as a patrol officer since Aug. 2016.
Damon’s firing is merely the latest in a series of scandals for the Tampa Police Department, which made headlines earlier this month when Chief Mary O’Connor flashed her badge to get out of a golf cart traffic stop.
O’Connor was subsequently placed on leave pending an investigation. She apologized for her “poor judgement” in a statement.
“I have personally called the Pinellas County Sheriff offering to pay for any potential citation,” she said at the time.
