ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (Court TV) — A former Ormond Beach police officer will serve 6 months in jail after forcefully slamming a handcuffed DUI suspect onto the floor, causing a wound that required stitches.
Former police officer Jacob Cannon was sentenced to jail time after slamming a suspect onto the floor. (Volusia County Dept. of Corrections)
Jacob Cannon was sentenced by Judge Kathryn Weston after pleading no contest to felony battery. In addition to jail time, Cannon received 2 years of probation and must surrender his law enforcement certification. He is also barred from owning, buying or possessing firearms.
The incident occurred when Cannon was administering a breathalyzer test to Shanna McRee, who appeared intoxicated and was verbally abusive. During the test, McRee, while handcuffed, stood up to confront Cannon and his partner. Cannon responded by forcefully slamming her onto the floor.
McRee suffered a gash to her forehead that required seven stitches and has been left with a visible 1.5-inch scar.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Weston rejected the defense’s arguments that the victim’s behavior warranted a downward departure from sentencing guidelines, which could have resulted in a lighter sentence.
While acknowledging Cannon’s diagnosed PTSD and intermittent explosive disorder, along with his lack of criminal history and 7 years of public service, the judge emphasized she was not giving special treatment.
“I am not downward departing because you’re a police officer. I’m treating you like anyone else,” Judge Weston said.
Cannon had resigned from the Ormond Beach police force following the incident.
This story was reported by Grace Wong and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
