A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office patrol officer is facing termination and a criminal charge after body camera footage showed him striking a handcuffed and intoxicated suspect during a Monday night arrest, Sheriff T.K. Waters announced this week.
Officer Shane Saydek, who has served with the department for a little over three years, arrested 43-year-old Kaashif Griffin on charges of having an open container in a vehicle and resisting an officer without violence.
According to officials, Griffin was heavily intoxicated at the time, and his behavior appeared to frustrate Saydek as the arrest progressed.
What the Video Shows
Bodycam footage captured in the sally port of the Sheriff’s Office, where suspects are processed before being taken to jail, shows Saydek holding Griffin’s cuffed hands against a patrol vehicle in an effort to take his fingerprints. Griffin does not appear to be resisting or acting aggressively, and at points seems confused, repeatedly insisting he had done nothing wrong and wanted to go home.
Saydek can be heard warning Griffin multiple times to stop moving his fingers, threatening to punch him if he continues. He eventually struck Griffin in the face and head area at least twice.
Another officer present during the incident watched Saydek hit Griffin and reported the encounter up the chain of command, prompting a formal investigation by the department’s Integrity Unit.
In his own report on the arrest, Saydek reportedly described the punch as an effort to gain Griffin’s compliance. Griffin did not require medical treatment for his injuries, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Calls Conduct Inexcusable
Waters did not hold back in criticizing the officer’s actions during a media briefing, saying there was no justification for even considering violence against Griffin given the circumstances. He emphasized that department policy and training clearly prohibit this kind of conduct and said no additional training changes would result from the incident, since the rules were already clear.
The sheriff acknowledged Saydek may have genuinely been frustrated dealing with an intoxicated and uncooperative subject, but stressed that frustration never justifies physically assaulting someone who is restrained and not posing a threat.
Saydek was arrested on a battery charge and has been suspended from duty while the department moves to terminate his employment. He had no prior disciplinary investigations before this incident. Waters noted this marks the sixth arrest of a Sheriff’s Office employee so far this year, a detail that added to his visible frustration during the announcement.
An attorney unaffiliated with the case noted that officers receive extensive training specifically designed to help them handle tense and frustrating situations without resorting to force, and said Saydek had multiple opportunities to step back and de-escalate rather than strike a restrained suspect.
