TAVARES, Florida—Body cam footage released by Tavares Police Department Friday shows a 14-year veteran Tavares Police officer using excessive force on a Eustis man during a consensual encounter and Tavares Police Chief Sarah Coursey has recommended he be fired over the incident, according to a press release.
“Officer (Jason) Baugh acted outside of policy and standard practice. When we learned of this incident, we took immediate action to rectify it,” Coursey said. “His actions are not indicative of how our officers act towards our community in which we serve and protect.”
Baugh, who started with TPD in 2008, was captured on body cam tasing Jaylin McMullen, 26, after chasing him inside a house in Tavares and then pointing his service weapon at McMullen, according to an internal affairs investigation. McMullen was arrested for resisting an officer without violence, and a violation of probation but the charges were dropped six days later.
Baugh spotted Jaylin McMullen driving down U.S. Highway 441 on Aug. 6 with a broken windshield, but did not perform a traffic stop, according to the report.
“I wasn’t in proximity to conduct a traffic stop,” Baugh told the internal affairs investigator, but he did attempt to locate the vehicle and found it with the engine running at a home in the 700 block of St. Clair Abrams Avenue, ran the tag and found that it came back to McMullen, who has a Eustis address. Baugh exited his patrol vehicle, spotted McMullen in the backyard of the home and ordered McMullen to come talk to him.
The exchange between Baugh and McMullen can be heard on body cam and is as follows:
McMullen: Yes, sir?
Baugh: How you doin’?
McMullen: Good.
Baugh: Your car?
McMullen: Yes.
Baugh: You just driving it?
McMullen: Yes, sir.
Baugh: Cool, come here and talk to me.
McMullen: OK, hold on, let me go (McMullen trails off as he is also talking on the phone.)
Baugh: Come talk to me.
Baugh: Come here.
Baugh: Come here.
(Baugh uses radio to make a transmission.)
Baugh: Come here.
(McMullen turns to enter the home, walking at a normal pace, not running.)
Baugh: Stop!
Baugh: Right now!
Approximately two seconds after Baugh yelled, “Stop!” he deployed his taser and strikes McMullen as he enters the home. The taser deployed a second time, rendering it useless and Baugh held McMullen at gunpoint while he removed the taser probes and handcuffed him. McMullen’s grandmother was in the room, and his sister and grandfather were in another room.
McMullen explained in a later interview that he was uncomfortable talking to Baugh in the backyard alone and was going into the house to get a family member.
A TPD lieutenant, who is now a captain, reviewed the Response to Resistance (use of force) report and the body cam and noted in the internal affairs report, “I had several concerns after reviewing the documentation and body camera footage and declined to sign off until further review with the chief of police.”
The lieutenant provided the documentation and footage to then-Chief Stoney Lubins, who also had several concerns, the report states. Lubins instructed that lieutenant and then-Lt. Coursey to meet with the State Attorney’s Office to review the case and the criminal charge against McMullen.
Assistant State Attorney Chad Monty said his office would not be prosecuting McMullen, and he was released from jail the same day, he spent a little more than six days in jail.
Baugh was demoted from sergeant to officer earlier this year after a separate internal investigation found that he violated TPD’s pursuit policy. Two other officers were also punished in that incident.
Baugh has until Dec. 9 to appeal the decision to terminate him.
