Following the arrest of former Springfield Police Officer Ronnie Nelson, News 13 looked into Nelson’s history in law enforcement.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement records show Nelson worked for several different agencies before Springfield PD, including the Panama City Beach PD auxiliary force and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
News 13 hasn’t found any records of previous misconduct.
Nelson received a life-saving award in 2018 for saving two people from a house fire in Springfield.
He was arrested on Tuesday on charges of official misconduct and battery after an investigation into his body-camera footage revealed that he had used a taser on an unarmed man with special needs after an unwarranted stop. Investigators said he also falsified the police report to justify his use of the taser.
Nelson is set to appear in court for arraignment on July 13th.
