Duval County Jury Finds Downey Guilty of Battery on an Officer

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Bryan Downey guilty of Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and Resisting an Officer with Violence. With the verdict, Downey faces up to 10 years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Jonathan Sacks will sentence Downey at a later date.

On Feb. 13, 2023, Downey was an inmate at the John E. Goode Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Downtown Jacksonville. During routine medication time, Downey jumped out of the inmate dorm and began cursing and demanding to see medical staff. When he was told he had an appointment later that morning, he got angry and threw a cup filled with an unknown liquid at an officer and threatened to remove his staples. The nurse deemed Downey as a potential risk for self-harm. Three officers came to handcuff and escort Downey to a safe area. Officers gave Downey instructions on how to behave when his handcuffs were removed. When the officers removed the handcuffs and instructed Downey to remove his clothes, Downey used a slur toward one officer and punched him in the neck, knocking him to the ground. The two other officers immediately intervened, but Downey continued to fight back. Downey was eventually subdued, put back into handcuffs, and restrained in a chair. The incident was captured on the jail’s security cameras. 

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Carleshia Jimerson and Stephanie Burke.