PROTECT AND SERVE

Tampa Officer Gets the Boot After Dragging a Woman Through Jail

The woman had been arrested for trespassing and sleeping on the premises of a local health clinic.

A Tampa police officer was sacked on Tuesday after he was caught on video dragging a woman across a parking garage to be booked at the Orient Road Jail. According to the department, former Officer Gregory Damon arrested the woman on Nov. 17 for trespassing and sleeping on the property of a local health clinic. Upon arrival at the jail, the woman refused to leave the car, yelling at the officer “I want you to drag me,” according to body cam footage obtained by Fox13. Damon then proceeded to drag the woman across the concrete floor, stopping once to tell her to get up. “Rather than remaining professional, Damon himself made rude and derogatory comments to the arrestee,” Tampa Police said in a statement. After an internal investigation, the department said they had determined Damon violated several policies, leading to his termination. “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,” said Interim Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw, according to Fox13.