Tampa police officer fired after dragging a woman across concrete floor

Tampa, Florida - A Tampa police officer has been fired after he was caught on video dragging a woman across a concrete floor and into jail.

A Tampa Police Department officer was fired on Tuesday after dragging a detained woman across a concrete garage at central booking.
A Tampa Police Department officer was fired on Tuesday after dragging a detained woman across a concrete garage at central booking.  © Collage: Screenshots / YouTube / TampaPD

According to the Tampa Bay Times, officer Gregory Damon was let go from the Tampa Police Department (TPD) on Tuesday, after a thorough investigation into the incident found that he violated department policies.

On November 17, Damon and other officers responded to a call at a Tampa Family Health Center where a woman was found sleeping outside and refused to leave.

When law enforcement officers showed up, the woman was swiftly arrested and taken to the Orient Road Jail.

Upon their arrival, body came footage shows Damon arguing with the handcuffed woman, who refuses to exit the vehicle and yells, "I want you to drag me!" after the officer told her, "I'm gonna drag you out of this car" moments before.

Damon proceeds to grab her by the arm to pull her from the vehicle before dragging the woman across the concrete parking garage to the door for central booking.

The officer was immediately placed on leave pending the results of the internal investigation.

The Tampa Police Department conduct an internal investigation

The TPD's investigation found that Damon violated a policy put in place in 2013 as a result of a similar incident involving an uncooperative detainee. In a statement, the department said, "the correct procedure would be to request assistance from the booking staff."

"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," explained Interim Police Chief Lee Bercaw. "As law enforcement officers, we are held to a higher standard."

Fortunately, the detained woman wasn't harmed in the incident.

Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots / YouTube / TampaPD

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