SPRINGFIELD, Fla. (WMBB) — Springfield Mayor Ralph Hammond announced the termination of Springfield Police Officer Ronnie Nelson during a news conference Thursday afternoon.
On Tuesday, Springfield Police Chief Barry Roberts and Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford announced the arrest of Nelson after they reviewed an incident involving excessive-force on an unarmed man with special needs.
The body-cam footage shows Nelson pulling and deploying a taser on Solomon Smith, who was unarmed.
The investigation has also shown that Nelson falsified the police report, saying Smith had tried to throw a punch at the rookie officer on scene.
Two other officers on scene told investigators Smith never tried to throw a punch.
