CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — What happened the night of January 1, 2023, isn’t disputed. The consequences of that night are.
The Clearwater Police Department responded to shots fired and a barricaded suspect. In documents obtained by 8 On Your Side, the Internal Affairs investigation explains — and body camera footage confirms — Officer Jonathan Reid arrived at the scene, found a position, heard the suspect fire a shot, then fired 18 shots at where he thought the suspect was located.
“I think I did what I needed to,” Reid said. “To make sure that we were all safe, and I can sleep at night knowing that.”
According to the IA investigation, another officer thought Reid was the suspect and fired at him. Reid was hit in the arm by friendly fire.
“As a department,” said Clearwater Police Chief Daniel Slaughter, “I think we made multiple errors in how we handled the situation. I think we could have done a much better job.”
After reviewing the shooting, Slaughter submitted a punishment of two days’ suspension without pay for both officers, which has to eventually be approved by the city manager.
“Generally, when people get disciplined,” Slaughter said. “They are generally removed from their specialties.”
Slaughter also removed Reid from the K-9 unit and pulled the other officer from the SWAT team.
“We recognized that they were fired at and that there was a deadly threat that they were exposed to,” Slaughter said. “However, the manner in which they responded was not consistent with their training and their responsibility.”
The department’s Discipline Review Board said Reid didn’t properly identify his target, fired too many shots, didn’t update his location over the radio, and didn’t follow instructions to stand back and take cover.
“We have an obligation to identify a target,” Slaughter said. “We can’t just indiscriminately empty a handgun into a building as if we’re playing a video game.”
But Reid doesn’t see it that way. He believes he fired enough shots in the right direction to keep other officers safe, and was following orders to get behind cover to the best of his ability.
“I never,” said Jonathan Reid. “Never saw this coming.”
It’s not the suspension Reid cares about — it’s his dog, Mando. Reid says Mando took on a kind of therapeutic role in getting back to the line of duty.
“So him being removed,” Reid explained. “Was kind of the worst punishment I could have received from this.”
Slaughter said he supports Reid getting a therapy dog through other means, but Mando will get a new handler soon.
“Towards the end of that, he took on a much larger role,” Reid said. “He was my support, he was therapy to me, he was family. So, it was a very hard thing to lose.”