Jacksonville Officer’s Bodycam Video Released in Case of Suspected Armed Encounter with Teen’s Alleged Stalker

Following an officer-involved shooting of Cerry Banks, an 18-year-old male suspected of trying to meet with a 13-year-old girl and threatening her mother and siblings with a handgun, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has made bodycam footage public. After intercepting a slew of inappropriate texts between Banks and her daughter, the mother set up a meeting with him by pretending to be the young adolescent. The event was caught on camera and took place last Monday, November 11.

According to the First Coast News article, Banks allegedly told the family, “If you hear gunshots, you better duck,” after being confronted at the prearranged spot on South McDuff Avenue and lifting his shirt to display a revolver in his waistband. The JSO has recently released information and video of the events that followed, and the mother quickly called the police for help. When Banks was approached by Officer G. Robinson outside a Popeyes restaurant, he was told to raise his hands immediately. Banks first obeyed the order before running away.

Banks allegedly turned toward Officer Robinson with a gun in hand during the ensuing pursuit, which caused the officer to fire about eight shots. Banks dropped the gun and fled, as shown on the bodycam film. He was eventually discovered hiding in a drainage pipe in a rural area. According to Action News Jax, Banks was given medical attention following the arrest and is being charged with a number of offenses, including aggravated assault and unlawful use of a communication equipment.

The bodycam footage also captures the tense moments before Banks escaped, during which Officer Robinson gave verbal orders filled with profanity. Before the upsetting series of events began, Robinson heard orders like “Turn your [expletive] the [expletive] away from me” and “Get your [expletive] hands up before I shoot your [expletive],” which caused him to exclaim, “Pow, pow, pow! “Gun, gun, gun!” as News4Jax reported. with the end, the interaction resulted with Robinson firing his firearm in response to Banks’ threat.

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