Florida Police Officer Jared Nash Accused Of Breaking 14-Year-Old Girl’s Arm During Arrest

A Florida police officer is in hot water after he allegedly broke a 14-year-old girl’s arm during an arrest.

According to Broward Palm Beach, the incident occurred on Wednesday, October 21, at the John I. Leonard High School in Palm Beach County. Nash allegedly tried to confiscate the girl’s cell phone to view a video. The video he was referring to was said to be evidence of another fight that occurred at the school. However, he reportedly didn’t have a search warrant to make demands for the girl’s phone.

So, of course, she refused to hand over the mobile device. As a result of her refusal to comply, he allegedly used excessive force to take the phone from her. But, Nash claims she pushed him first. He insists the girl, whose name is reportedly Daniella Galindo, caused the situation to escalate into a physical altercation. He gave a detailed account of the incident in his written statement.

“I told her to put the phone down, but she continued to talk on it,” Nash wrote in the statement. “When she did this I took a hold of her left arm,” he wrote.

Because Nash believed the girl had evidence of a high school fight on her phone, he ordered her to stop, but he says she refused.

“She then began to twist and pull her arm around in an increased physical level trying to pull away,” he claims. “I then tried placing [her] left hand behind her back to secure her in handcuffs due to her pushing me, her increasing attempts to break away from my grasp, and continuing to try hand the phone to [her friend] despite my orders not to.”

Although there is a possibly his statement may be true, her parents aren’t buying it. They are arguing that their daughter, who is reportedly 4-foot-11 and 90 pounds, couldn’t have matched his level of strength. So there was no need for excessive force.

“I want him fired,” her father, Jeremy Galindo, reportedly said. “They (police) are saying that the officer’s excessive force was justified because they say my daughter pulled away from him,” he said. “So one of your officers breaks a minor’s arm and you don’t investigate?”

According to the Free Thought Project, her account of the incident is totally different from Nash’s. Galindo claims she was talking on her cell phone and Nash questioned her about who she was talking to. She stated that she told him it was her mother on the phone and he demanded that she hang it up and give it to him. When she refused, he allegedly grabbed her forcefully, slammed her against a wall and twisted her arm. Even as Galindo cried in pain, he still didn’t release her. He pulled her by both arms and handcuffed her.

There is also footage of the alleged incident. However, it has not yet been released. Lt. Brady Myers of the Greenacres Internal Affairs Department has stated that the investigation will be ongoing.

[Image via Free Thought Project]