Joseph Griffin, 28, who was cleared, told CNN on Tuesday night that he has since been invited by the sheriff to help with bias training.
“This is a great opportunity that I think can help change the relationship between both parties, policing and the community,” Griffin told CNN’s Erin Burnett.
A video shared by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Fees shows how the incident unfolded.
On Aug. 27, sheriff’s officers were searching for a man suspected of stealing a weed eater / leaf blower from a backyard shed, according to a report of the incident. A deputy came over to Griffin, who was jogging and matched the description of the burglary suspect.
“Hey Buddy, you’re not in any trouble or anything. There’s a burglary – you fit some sort of description,” an official is heard saying on body-camera footage released by the VSO as he gets out of the vehicle and approaches. . A sweat griffin. “Let me make sure you don’t,” says the officer.
“Really?” Griffin looks surprised saying that. And says he has his ID.
As Griffin pulls out his ID, the officer looks at Griffin’s suit and says, “Literally they said, white tank top, black shorts and they said you have a beard.”
“So, I’m not saying he’s you, but he was a black man – again – he’s not saying he’s you, friend,” the officer repeats.
The officer returned and radioed his colleagues while Griffin’s body cum footage repeatedly showed him looking down at his phone. He started Facebook Live and was recording the encounter.
An edited video posted on Facebook Live on Griffin’s Facebook timeline shows him breathing heavily and the officer can be heard saying, “Listen, just bear with me? Because, you fit the description – I “I’m not saying you’re guilty.”
Griffin responded by saying “I know” and then looking at the Facebook livestream.
“But my sergeant tells me to detain you. He’s my sergeant,” the officer says.
Griffin picks up his phone and says, “I just had a baby girl two days ago so just keep it live.”
“Is he alive?” The officer asks. The officer’s body camera on my video, he says, “Do you want to set it up here?” Pointing to the ground.
Griffin then tried to put his phone on the ground when the officer stopped him and said he would put it on the ground for him.
“I am detaining you for now. But you are not in detention – I am detaining you right now because you deserve the description,” the officer is heard saying in body footage.
Griffin is heard handcuffed, some police sirens heard in the background and then looking down at his phone on the ground, saying, “If something happens to me, you all better go to hell.”
“By the way, I’m alive too, I got the recording,” says the detainee.
Griffin told Burnett that he was glad his family was able to follow what was going on through his phone.
Once Griffin was finally released, authorities revealed his involvement in the crime. Police eventually determined that Griffin was mistakenly detained and that the original burglary suspect was later identified and arrested.
“I understood the fact that they had to do their job, but I don’t like to put anyone in a cuff,” Griffin told CNN.
He said Burnett played a role in the race that the first part of the description is “Black Male”.
“I don’t believe they stopped me because I’m black. There was a description. The scary thing is that the witness’s description just isn’t 100% accurate. And the accurate description of the witness is very appropriate for your future and life. Scary.”
But the sheriff’s office says the case could still have a positive outcome.
“We knew we would get beaten up, criticized a bit because there were so many officers. It never looked good. But then I was shown a video of a body de camera,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood told CNN. “I watched the video. Mr. Griffin was great with my deputies. And my deputies were extremely professional. I called everyone to thank them for their professionalism. I also called Mr. Griffin, and thanked him for how he handled the situation when. This is how it works when you are stopped by the police. This is really a learning moment. We can learn from each other. “
“I found out that Mr. Griffin is a former army police officer. I asked if he would come and train with all our staff. He was surprised and agreed. Because of Covid-1, we can only train 20 people. One time. We will start training in early October and continue, “Chitwood added. “I also offered him a job. We now have 40 openings. But he turned down the offer, saying he had a job in health care.”
No stranger to policing during the issue of controversial gender relations, Chutuvude has participated in several roundtables, discussions and meetings to ease racial tensions and racial tensions in Volusia County.
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