Chief Mike Kee speaks Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, about the arrest of a Jacksonville police officer. | News4Jax
Published on October 31, 2024 at 12:29 pm
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A Jacksonville police officer is charged with inappropriately touching a woman and holding her against her will while investigating a domestic violence complaint.
Officer John C. Burgos, 35, was jailed Thursday on charges of false imprisonment and battery, the Sheriff’s Office said. He was suspended without pay.
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The incident occurred after Burgos, a six-year veteran of the department, arrested a woman’s boyfriend about 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to a police report.
He then left but returned and claimed he needed to investigate further. He removed his body-worn camera before returning, the report said.
While alone with the woman, Burgos would not let her leave and touched her without consent, Director Brian Kee said.
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Burgos told the woman “you’re a beautiful girl” and gave her a fist bump, the police report said. He offered to buy items for her baby but she declined, it said.
The woman was able to covertly record several minutes of the interaction on her cellphone, the report said. She complained to police, and an investigation led to Burgos’ arrest early Thursday.
The Sheriff’s Office “is appalled by Burgos’ conduct and by the fact that he committed these crimes while representing himself as a public servant,” Kee said. “With this arrest, JSO sends a clear message that we will not tolerate when a member of this agency violates the law and threatens the public trust.”
Anyone who feels their interaction with an officer “doesn’t seem right” should call the Sheriff’s Office to complain, as this victim did, Kee said.
This is the 11th arrest of a Sheriff’s Office employee this year.
False imprisonment is a felony, while battery is a misdemeanor, state statutes say.
Burgos’ discipline record shows past issues, including a reprimand in 2002 after the wrong person was charged in a traffic crash, a “huge mistake,” Kee said.
This incident is also under internal investigation. Kee said Burgos will be fired after that is done.
