THE BILL ITSELF
SB 28
Relief of Reginald Jackson by the City of Lakeland
Florida Senate - 2026 (NP) SB 28 By Senator Rouson 16-00102-26 202628__
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A bill to be entitled
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An act for the relief of Reginald Jackson by the City
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of Lakeland; providing an appropriation to compensate
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Mr. Jackson for injuries and damages sustained as a
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result of the negligence of Mike Cochran, a police
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officer with the Lakeland Police Department; providing
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a limitation on the payment of compensation and
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attorney fees; providing an effective date.
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WHEREAS, on October 18, 2001, Officer Mike Cochran of the
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Lakeland Police Department stopped Reginald Jackson for driving
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with an invalid license tag after the officer incorrectly typed
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the tag number into his computer and the tag number was,
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therefore, identified as invalid, and
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WHEREAS, Officer Cochran then issued a citation to Mr.
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Jackson for transporting his girlfriend’s 18-month-old brother
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without a child safety seat and forbade Mr. Jackson to move the
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vehicle without properly restraining the child, and
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WHEREAS, Mr. Jackson asked if Officer Cochran could escort
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his vehicle to his home a short distance away, but the officer
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refused and directed Mr. Jackson to use an immediately adjacent
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pay phone to call someone to bring a car seat for the child, and
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WHEREAS, after the stop, Officer Cochran drove away and
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positioned himself in an alley parallel to the site of the
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initial stop and observed Mr. Jackson drive to a pay phone on
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the next block, which Mr. Jackson did after determining that the
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immediately adjacent pay phone was not operational, and
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WHEREAS, while Mr. Jackson attempted to use the second pay
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phone, Officer Cochran approached him and told him that he was
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under arrest for disobeying a law enforcement officer, and
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WHEREAS, Mr. Jackson was startled by the officer and ran
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back to his vehicle, got inside, backed up a short distance, and
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then drove forward without pressing the gas pedal, and
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WHEREAS, when Officer Cochran told Mr. Jackson to stop the
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vehicle or he would shoot, Mr. Jackson then pumped his brakes
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twice, and the officer fired a .45 caliber bullet through the
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windshield which struck Mr. Jackson in the neck and exited
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through his back, and
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WHEREAS, Mr. Jackson was unarmed and seated next to an 18
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month-old child, and
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WHEREAS, after the shooting, the police transported the
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child to the police station in a marked vehicle without a child
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safety seat, and
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WHEREAS, as a result of his injury, Mr. Jackson will suffer
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pain and be disabled for the rest of his life, and
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WHEREAS, Officer Cochran, as an employee of the Lakeland
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Police Department acting within the scope of employment, owed a
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duty to Mr. Jackson to conduct himself in a reasonable manner
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and exercise reasonable care, but he breached that duty by
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discharging his firearm through Mr. Jackson’s windshield in a
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careless and negligent manner, and
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WHEREAS, a jury in the Circuit Court of the Tenth Judicial
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Circuit in and for Polk County awarded Mr. Jackson $412,500 in
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damages, and
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WHEREAS, due to the limits of s. 768.28, Florida Statutes,
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at the time of the incident, Mr. Jackson has collected only
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$100,000 of his judgment against the City of Lakeland, and the
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remainder may be recovered only through passage of a claim bill
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by the Legislature, NOW, THEREFORE,
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act are
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found and declared to be true.
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Section 2. The City of Lakeland is authorized and directed
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to appropriate from funds of the city not otherwise encumbered
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and to draw a warrant in the sum of $312,500 payable to Reginald
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Jackson as compensation for injuries and damages sustained.
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Section 3. The amount paid by the City of Lakeland pursuant
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to s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and the amount awarded under
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this act are intended to provide the sole compensation for all
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present and future claims arising out of the factual situation
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resulting in the shooting of Reginald Jackson as described in
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this act. The total amount paid for attorney fees relating to
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this claim may not exceed 25 percent of the amount awarded under
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this act.
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Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.