Body camera footage has surfaced showing an altercation between a University of Central Florida student and police officers. The incident, which occurred on February 5 of last year, involved a dispute over the use of pronouns.
Jarrett Vick, 27, was arrested and faced charges including battery on law enforcement, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct, according to the Orange County court docket. Vick pleaded not guilty, and the case has since been closed. The footage was recently posted by Inside the Blue TV, a YouTube channel that shares police body camera recordings.
Officers were initially responding to reports of a stolen vehicle at the University of Central Florida campus in Orlando when they encountered Vick inside an on-campus building. According to the footage, Vick asked the officers to use "she" pronouns and questioned why certain individuals were present on campus. An officer warned Vick to lower her voice, threatening to call for backup, and then radioed for another officer to respond to a student experiencing a "breakdown."
When Vick reiterated her demand for correct pronouns, an officer instructed her to get on the ground and deployed pepper spray. Vick attempted to flee, yelling for the officers to leave her alone and also used profanity. Vick stated that she would calm down if the pepper spray was not pointed at her face. Another individual, identified as a university employee, attempted to de-escalate the situation.
Vick then accused an officer of "misgendering" her, stating it was causing distress. Officers again instructed Vick to comply and get on the ground, with another officer noting it was too late to calm the student. After a verbal exchange, officers physically apprehended Vick, who yelled for help and stated she was being hurt. She was then tased and handcuffed.
As Vick was being escorted to a police car, she could be heard saying, "I hate you. You escalated this. You didn't have to pull out the pepper spray. You didn't have to misgender me." Vick told the New York Post that she felt she was being "f***ing harassed by the cops" and subsequently by the media. It remains unclear if Vick is still enrolled at the university. The Orange County Sheriff's Office and the University of Central Florida have been contacted for comment.
