JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A veteran police officer was arrested Saturday after an argument between the officer, his girlfriend and another woman that began at a Southside gentleman's club and escalated as they drove away. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Rodney Bryant pulled over, retrieved a gun from the trunk of the car and pointed a gun at the women.
Police said the girlfriend's friend called her sister for help. That woman said when she arrived, Bryant also pointed the gun at her. No shots were fired and no one was injured.
Bryant, 32, was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Since he was charged with a felony, he was removed from duty and recommended for dismissal, according to police.
Bryant was booked into the Duval County jail on Saturday, but released the next day.
Bryant, a 5½ veteran of the JSO, was the first employee arrested in 2019. Last year, nine JSO employees were arrested.
According to Bryant's disciplinary history, there have been seven citizen complaints against him between 2014 to 2017, but all were exonerated or unfounded. Bryant was involved in a crash in January 2016 and he went through informal counseling and remedial training.
It's an option for the Sheriff's Office to withhold the release of booking photos of JSO employees charged with crimes. In this case, Bryant's mugshot was not released.
Bryant worked in the department's DUI unit and refused to make a statement about the incident.