By Police1 Staff
VALPARAISO, Ind. — The subjects of an August arrest that went viral have released a statement they said resolved the incident amicably, WBEZ reported.
Porter County Sheriff David Reynolds, Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas and resident Darryl Jackson, Jr. released a joint statement detailing how they will learn and move forward from the interaction.
“The strength of a community is tested by its ability to work through tough issues in a spirit of understanding and respect,” Costas said in the statement. “Together, we can and will lead by example, and through our efforts this city and this county will continue to be known as places of peace and prosperity for all people.”
The Aug. 29 incident began when 24-year-old Jackson was arrested in a predominantly white, affluent neighborhood for failing to identify himself. He was parked and waiting for a friend to come out of their home when police approached him.
The dash cam footage showed Jackson resisting arrest and asking the officer why he was being targeted. The arresting officer was part of a gang task force and was cleared by Reynolds of any wrongdoing.
After prosecutors declined to press charges, Costas publicly questioned the actions of the arresting officer. In the following days, groups on both sides were angered and tensions rose. The issue was at the forefront of last month’s city Advisory Human Relations Council meeting.
The statement was a collaborative effort to find a resolution from all sides.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for officers of the law, but I am not perfect,” Jackson said in the statement. “On the evening of August the 29th, 2015, my flaws presented themselves in a way that I was unaware was even possible. During my interaction with Officer Lucas and the other officers on the gang task force, I was overcome with fear, which led me to act in ways that I regret.”
Reynolds accepted Jackson’s apology and wrote one of his own.
“The truth is, we know that we can do better too,” Reynolds wrote in the statement. “I have always believed that every interaction with citizens is important and that my department has an obligation to be tactically sound, critically aware, and constructively engaged with the communities we serve.”
As a result of the statement, the sheriff has promised to hold quarterly dialogues with people in the community. He wants to work towards better equipping his officers to understand implicit biases and their effect on their job.