JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Protesters are standing in solidarity with the three people who were arrested during Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
Action News Jax was at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday as dozens waited for the release of two out of the three that were arrested.
Leah Grady was already released from jail when protesters gathered Wednesday and she spoke out.
“Put simply, it was a dumb thing to be arrested for,” said Grady. “But what it did was expose the contradiction at the moment of constituents trying to have their voices heard and our elected officials not only ignoring them but having them ejected from a public meeting.”
Police said she was one of three people refusing to leave council chambers when ordered.
In a video you can see the moment when Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officers pulled one of the others, Conor Cauley over a seat.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters defended the way his officers handled the situation.
“When the officer got up there, he actually made contact with the person he was going to remove,” said Sheriff Waters. “I believe the young man stepped into his way and then brushed his hand off. And when you do that the police officer is not going to allow you to do anything extra.”
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JSO arrested Cauley on charges of resisting with violence but after reviewing video of the incident a judge found no probable cause for that charge.
However, police said they did find a knife on him, and he faces charges of carrying a concealed weapon. His lawyers said it was a pocketknife which under state law, would not be considered a weapon. It’s something the Sheriff disagrees with.
Mayor Donna Deegan said she will conduct a full security review of city hall to make sure people are safe.
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