JSO Officer arrested for alleged false imprisonment, battery after inappropriate actions on woman he pulled over

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) announced Wednesday morning that J. McKinney, who served as a JSO officer for two years and five months, has resigned following his arrest.

McKinney was hired on April 4, 2022, and previously worked as a deputy for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office for four and a half years.

According to JSO, on September 4, 2024, McKinney conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle due to the driver having a reportedly suspended driver’s license. During the encounter, he made inappropriate remarks about the driver’s appearance. After concluding the traffic stop, he directed the driver to follow him to a nearby location, where he reportedly inappropriately touched her.

READ: Sources: Jacksonville officer arrested, accused of improperly touching woman during traffic stop

Detectives with the JSO Integrity Unit took the lead in the investigation and developed probable cause for McKinney’s arrest.

Sheriff T.K. Waters stated, “When a member of this agency violates the law, they will be treated accordingly. They are held to a higher standard than the public, and we will arrest and prosecute them, especially in a case like this.”

During the traffic stop, McKinney allegedly turned off his patrol vehicle’s body camera, which is considered a significant violation of protocol. The investigation is ongoing.

McKinney’s bond has been set at $3,000, according to JSO’s online Inmate Information Search.

The arrest marks the 14th employee of the agency to be arrested in 2024.

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