I-TEAM: Police working with city to fix damage SWAT team left behind

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police said they are moving with the metropolis of Jacksonville aft a veteran was denied help pursuing a SWAT standoff, during which a SWAT squad tore done his obstruction and sewer enactment to get to a execution fishy hiding adjacent door.

Video from July shows the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office SWAT squad extracurricular Robert Vansickle’s location connected the Northside arsenic it was closing successful connected accused slayer Ronnie Johnson, who was hiding adjacent door.

An Army seasoned and first-time homeowner, Vansickle pointed retired that helium appreciates the constabulary and their response, but he’s not blessed astir harm to his spot arsenic Johnson was arrested.

Johnson, 27, is accused of sidesplitting a antheral who was recovered changeable Dec. 27 connected Cahoon Road North. Johnson is being held astatine the Duval County jail.

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“It’s benignant of a stroke to the face,” Vansickle said. “I’m gladsome they got the guy.”

The SWAT tractor, called a Bobcat, got stuck successful the mud and took retired astir 80 feet of his fence, helium said. He claims it besides damaged his factual artifact and ruptured his septic vessel enactment which is causing plumbing backups to this day.

“I haven’t been capable to usage my bath successful the master. I conscionable get backflow from the toilet,” Vansickle told the News4Jax I-TEAM.

He filed a ailment with the metropolis of Jacksonville, asking for it to wage for repairs oregon conscionable hole the damage. He got a effect from the Risk Management Division: a missive saying it wasn’t going to happen. It reads successful part: “I indispensable counsel you your assertion is being denied. The responsibility is with Mr. Ronnie Lee Johnson Jr. the fugitive that was captured. To record restitution against Mr. Johnson you would request to scope retired to the State Attorney’s office.”

“Unfortunately with large municipalities, metropolis governments, you spot that denial missive travel done archetypal regardless,” backstage lawyer John Phillips told the I-TEAM. “And it’s unfortunate. Because they are liable for harm they caused.”

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Phillips has fought the metropolis connected cases similar this. He said it’s tenable for Vansickle to inquire for assistance with repairs. But the world is hiring a lawyer to combat it successful tribunal whitethorn outgo much than the existent repairs.

“Community policing requires them to really springiness backmost to the community,” Phillips said. “And successful an lawsuit similar this, it’s thing that a small spot of elbow grease by the metropolis could astir apt conscionable fix.”

And that could beryllium arsenic elemental arsenic sending a nationalist works crew. But erstwhile we reached retired to the city, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Stephanie Burch said successful an email to the I-TEAM that they aren’t budging.

“The officers were chasing a fugitive astatine the clip and did not enactment successful a negligent manner,” Burch wrote Aug. 13. “The missive besides explains the enactment disposable to the spot owner. We person nary further remark astatine this time.”

However, aft the communicative archetypal aired Tuesday, Officer Christian Hancock with the JSO Public Information Office wrote successful an email Wednesday afternoon: “We person been made alert of this and we are presently moving with the City of Jacksonville successful an effort to bring a solution to the citizen’s issues.”

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Vansickle hopes the metropolis helps due to the fact that helium doesn’t person the clip oregon resources to hold for restitution from the execution suspect.

“I enactment arsenic a pizza transportation driver. I don’t person the wealth to wage for each this,” helium said, hopeless for help.

Vansickle acceptable up a GoFundMe account with a extremity of raising $7,500 for the repairs.

Our archetypal article has generated a batch of feedback from News4Jax insiders.

“Oh travel connected JSO and the city... the fishy tin inactive beryllium recovered liable but it is your work to this antheral to repair the harm you caused. Do the close happening and reconstruct his spot to however it was earlier you acceptable ft connected it,” said Mary T.

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Tina Mary wrote: “But yet my projected taxation measure came successful the message contiguous and it’s higher of people than past year! I would similar MY taxation summation spell to Robert Vansickle, an Army veteran!!!!”

News4Jax volition travel up with constabulary and the metropolis astir Vansickle’s complaints.

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