Because nothing says “Florida Man” like a traffic stop turning into a full-blown action movie gone wrong.
Jason Arrington, a Florida man with dreams of becoming a merchant seaman (which, let’s be honest, already sounds like a Pirates of the Caribbean spin-off), had his life take a sharp left turn when a Jacksonville cop accidentally turned his own Glock .45 into a personal escape artist—except the only thing escaping was a bullet through his hip.
The Traffic Stop That Went Way Off Script
Arrington was pulled over for allegedly running a red light (because Florida drivers never do that, right?). Being a responsible gun owner, he let the officer know he was legally packing heat. That’s when things escalated from “License and registration, please” to “Oh no, my entire future!”
Officer Mindy Cardwell, in what we can only assume was an attempt to reenact Die Hard, tried to remove the gun from Arrington’s waistband. Instead, she accidentally pulled the trigger, turning his leg into a human Pez dispenser. Blood? Everywhere. Apology? Nowhere.
Arrington says he blacked out, convinced he was about to meet his maker—probably in a Florida-themed afterlife where the angels wear flip-flops and the clouds smell like sunscreen.
Career Plans? More Like Career Crumbs
Before this very unplanned lead injection, Arrington was a crane operator with dreams of sailing the high seas as a merchant seaman. He’d even passed the written test! But now? His hip is a mess, his knee is probably plotting revenge, and his career prospects are deader than a gator in a snowstorm.
He’s in physical therapy (for the bullet wound) and psychotherapy (for the trauma of being shot by his own gun). Because nothing says “emotional damage” like realizing the person who shot you was supposed to be the one keeping you safe.
The Lawsuit: Because Florida Man Always Gets the Last Laugh
Arrington’s attorney, Kay Harper Williams, is gearing up for a lawsuit that will likely include phrases like “permanent injuries” and “lost future earning capacity”—AKA “My seafaring dreams are now fish food.”
Meanwhile, Officer Cardwell got hit with an incompetence charge and is being shown the door. The state won’t pursue criminal charges, but let’s be real—she’s probably not getting a glowing recommendation for her next job in law enforcement.
Moral of the Story?
If you’re a Florida Man with a gun, maybe just… don’t get pulled over. Or better yet, invest in a holster that doesn’t turn cops into accidental action heroes.
Stay safe out there, folks. Or at least try to.