A Florida woman is calling out the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for how deputies treated her after she got into a single-car crash accident last year.
First Coast News reported that on Dec. 3, 2023, at around 1:40 a.m., Emogene King, 30, was driving on Interstate 10 when she noticed another driver swerving into her lane. She veered out of the way to avoid being struck by the other vehicle but crashed into the median wall barrier, resulting in a leg injury.
She alleged that while bleeding out on the scene — which raised concerns for first responders — officers were more concerned with her taking a breathalyzer test rather than getting her medical treatment.
“I was like, why do I have to take a breathalyzer test? I didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t drink. So we did the breathalyzer test on me, and it came back negative, I wasn’t drinking. And then he accused me of being on drugs,” King said at a press conference last Friday, per the report.
King also accused the officers of preventing her mother from interacting with her. She was eventually taken to a local hospital, where she had surgery. During her recovery, King claimed she was interrogated by officers again and had to take a second test, according to First Coast News.
While telling her emotional testimony, she was backed by community leaders, including Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church Reginald Gundy, who requested a meeting with the sheriff to discuss the current issue within the agency.
“The direct issue that I’m looking for the sheriff is to not just listen to us, but hear us. What I’m really looking for from the sheriff at this time is a change in the culture,” Gundy reportedly said in support of King.
Following an administrative review last week, Sheriff T.K. Waters publicly opposed King’s claims, saying that body camera footage tells a different story. He said his officers had “limited contact” with King.
“While this agency will always support citizens’ right to free speech and free assembly, we will also speak out against such free speech when it’s categorically false,” Waters said. “Mr. Gundy’s gathering was not about sharing the truth but rather about pushing an anti-police narrative in the public discourse.”
Waters clarified that the Florida Highway Patrol initially investigated the case, and JSO arrived at the scene afterward to manage traffic and prevent another crash. He said neither agency conducted a DUI investigation that morning.
He continued, “Upon full review of the body-worn camera footage, you’ll see that no JSO officer requested or completed a breath test. As such, the body-worn camera footage affirmatively disproves this allegation of police misconduct.”
Body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office shows the moment officers got to the area. In one video, King could be seen initially telling first responders she wouldn’t get out of the car until her mother was by her side. Her mother stood nearby and reassured King that she would meet her at the hospital. Towards the end of the video, she was placed on the gurney with a bandage on her wound.
Another bodycam video shows one officer standing around and interviewing people at the scene. The third video shows King’s mother speaking with officers who tell her to allow the first responders to help her. They also appear to ask her to move her vehicle out of the road.
“That’s my child,” she yelled. “What would you do if that was your child? My child is up there.”
Based on the videos, none of the officers had close contact with King at the scene. However, she stood firm on her experience and claimed the officers’ actions happened before they turned the cameras on, according to local news.
“I just want them to do what’s right, retrain them, [and] let them know they were wrong,” King said. “I don’t have to make this stuff up.”
