Video: The arrest that led to Longboat Officer Jessica Anderson’s termination
This is the actual video of Longboat Key Police Officer Jessica Anderson who was terminated for an unlawful arrest she made on June 14, 2009, on Longboat Key.
A man was asked to move a car parked in the Gulf of Mexico Drive right-of-way, and according to the police report, several people at the residence had been notified in the past that the car was illegally parked in the right-of-way. It was determined by internal investigation that Anderson violated the subject’s rights by conducting an unjustified arrest that she performed on the subject who failed to produce identification. Anderson is appealing her termination, claiming that other officers in the department violated regulations and were not terminated.
Another officer, Patricia Beardsley, was also fired after she set off a firestorm for the Longboat Key Police Department last year. Beardsley was fired for brandishing a firearm on a mother and children. The Beardsley incident occurred while a mother was picking up her children from Southside Elementary School, and she pulled into Beardsley’s driveway to turn around. That’s when Officer Beardsley came out of her home allegedly pointing a gun at arm level toward the car. According to the mother, the children were screaming so loudly she could not hear what Beardsley was saying as she approached the car. Beardsley maintains that she was carrying a cell phone, not a handgun. However, several other witnesses who called 911 also saw the handgun.
The town has since hired two new officers to replace Anderson and Beardsley, but police coverage remains at historic lows.
The fact that this video was even posted disgusts me. I personally have had many pleasant encounters with Ofc. Anderson while she worked on the Island and I feel that this is just another attempt to make her look bad. Being a former Law Enforcement Officer myself I can tell you that being an Officer is not an easy job and that we often encounter terrible people that do terrible things. I don’t know what exactly happened in this scenario but before anyone should even start to judge her and her actions I think you need all the facts. The video “shows” nothing in regards to her interactions with this individual and that says a lot. There is always two sides to a story and it is apparent here that no one cared to “listen” to Ofc. Anderson’s side, they just saw the video and made their judgements. It’s unfortunate.
Elizabeth, people like you always want to talk about how hard it is for cops to be professional. Who cares what her previous interactions with her victim were like? You don’t get to arrest people because they were mean to you. Police officers need to get it through their heads that being entrusted–literally–with the power to shoot someone means they must be held to a higher standard. There should be zero tolerance for a police officer who arrests, beats, or otherwise abuses their power in a fit of pique. Crossing that line means we cannot trust you to perform your duties without endangering the public. Game over. Get out. You’re not welcome.
@ Elizabeth She was clearly wrong, can you not see the video. Cops like her deserve what she got. Your gonna argue this while your peers made this decision. Cmon ya’ll are not perfec.t happy trails to her.