Bryan Jackson, the Flagler County sheriff’s deputy who took responsibility for firing a rifle bullet that accidentally grazed the neck of an 11-year-old neighbor boy last year, resigned Monday, effective July 15, just as the Sheriff’s Office was completing an internal affairs investigation that found him to have violated two policies. He could have faced sanctions.
Jackson had fired an agency-issued weapon at his own personal firing range, in violation of a policy that requires all agency weapons to be fired in training only at an approved range. And he fired bullets that belonged to him, again in violation of a policy that requires all agency-issued weapons to be loaded with agency-issued ammunition.
Jackson, who started working for the Sheriff’s Office in August 2013, told investigators that he was practicing firing his daughter’s AR-15 in his backyard shooting range in Daytona North the evening of Aug. 27, 2025, when the inadvertent shooting happened. Jackson was unaware of it, the neighboring house being several lots further north than his, on Hazelnut Street, and through the woods. The 11-year-old boy was in his room when the bullet pierced through a wall and other items on a dresser and grazed him, burning him but not injuring him further, at least not physically.
Jackson’s daughter, Kailen, had just been issued the AR-15 as a new recruit at the Sheriff’s Office. She was a trainee. Jackson told investigators he wanted to try the weapon. He told them he fired 15 to 20 shots in a three-minute period. He has long maintained a couple of firing ranges in his backyard, though the investigation revealed that one of the ranges trespassed on a neighbor’s property to the north, without the neighbor’s permission.
Investigators questioned whether it was, in fact, Bryan Jackson rather than his daughter who fired the shot, and tried to document the shooting minutes themselves through surveillance video footage. Jackson had some footage from cameras outside the house, but somehow, the window of time when the firing took place was not recorded, no longer available to access, so investigators could not see it.
The Sheriff’s Office conducted a lengthy investigation to reconstruct the events of that evening, enlisting the help of the FBI and confirming that the bullet fired from the AR-15 was the bullet that struck the boy. The bullet was recovered. The likelihood that a bullet would travel a lengthy distance through the woods and still penetrate a house and cause damage was extremely remote. But it was not zero. In this case, the not-zero happened.
The Sheriff’s Office filed a first-degree misdemeanor charge of culpable negligence against Jackson. The State Attorney’s Office elected not to pursue the charge, finding that the incident did not rise to the level of a crime.
The criminal investigation completed, the Sheriff’s Office conducted its own internal affairs investigation, completed and released today upon request by FlaglerLive.
“The shooting range Jackson admits to utilizing in discharging an Agency owned rifle was not approved nor authorized by the Flagler County Sheriff s Office.,” the internal affairs investigation concluded. “Additionally, Jackson admitted to using his personal ammunition rather than agency issued ammunition when shooting the Agency issued firearm on the unauthorized range.” The IA added: “The charge of unbecoming conduct is unnecessary as is reflective and is inclusive of the sustained general order violations.”
Had the State Attorney filed a charge, Jackson would have faced an additional policy violation pertaining to lawbreaking. That violation was “not sustained” since the State Attorney declined to file the charge.
Kailen Jackson resigned on May 19. She was not interviewed for the internal affairs investigation–there were attempts to interview her–but had been interviewed for the criminal investigation. Her resignation letter suggests her decision had to do with the ripples from the incident and how she was perceived within the agency: “Throughout my tenure,” she wrote, “I have experienced ongoing challenges within the organizational and supervisory environment that have made it increasingly difficult to perform my duties with the level of support, fairness, and professional confidence I believe are necessary to succeed effectively in this role. Despite my continued efforts to meet expectations and serve responsibly, I no longer feel that the work environment is conducive to my long-term professional growth and well-being.” (Her final day of employment was to be June 2. Her employment was ended on May 22.)
Jackson signed the Internal Affairs document today. The document contains no sanctions, which are now moot since Jackson resigned before he could be assessed any. But there would have been disciplinary consequences that would have included penalties up to termination.
“After a lengthy and thorough investigation, the State Attorney’s Office reviewed the facts in this case and decided not to file criminal charges against Mr. Jackson,” Chief of Staff Mark Strobridge was quoted as saying in a release. “Mr. Jackson’s decision to resign concludes the administrative process, but our commitment to professionalism, accountability, and public trust remains unchanged.”
“My time with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has been both a pleasure and a valuable learning experience. I am truly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to grow professionally, the support of my colleagues, and the meaningful work we have accomplished together in serving our community,” he wrote in a June 29 resignation letter. “That said, I regret to inform you that I must resign in order to pursue new opportunities that will better support my family’s needs at this time. This was not an easy decision, and I want to express my sincere appreciation for everything I have gained while working here.”
See:
-
New Investigative Details Reveal How a Deputy’s Shooting Practice Nearly Killed An 11-Year-Old Boy
- Rifle Bullet From Flagler County Sheriff’s Deputies’ Target-Shooting in Mondex Strikes 11-Year-Old Boy
JimboXYZ says
From the son’s drunken driving fatality, the rifle incident with the daughter & dad. This family found a way to ruin all of their careers & lives. All you had to do was play by some basic rules. After reading Kailen’s resignation letter, disturbing is citing internal challenges to FCSO as the reason for resignation ? This was self inflicted, for this incident. Dad shot her issued weapon, then the big cover up of what happened. Like the drink driving fatality, just an uncooperative cover up for taking full accountability & responsibility for just any of it. The FBI involved in the investigation, Kailen indicated as a new recruit. Wasn’t with FCSO long enough to face the challenges the resignation letter indicated ? Dad needed to keep his hands off her firearm. If the 11 year old isn’t a victim that bullet goes anywhere else in the Mondex, this is a non-issue, what are the chances of that ?
The dude says
Biden’s fault… clearly.
Dave says
I disagree, Dude. Me thinks Kamala had a hand in this one.
henry says
what a bunch of idiots they hire ,where do they get their training from online police academy If the Sheriff department is an accredited agency i think that they just wasted their money in training like father like daughter it’s good that she resigned , state attorney useless. I won’t call the sheriffs department for anything. I just can’t believe they give a trainee an AR, sounds like a Mickey Mouse operation
Skibum says
This family from the mondex appears to be a clan of bad decision makers. The son is a convicted felon now and in prison after a hit and run traffic fatality. His good ole dad tried to help his kid avoid criminal responsibility by hindering the law enforcement investigation and lying to the traffic homicide investigators. That was deputy Jackson’s apparent 1st strike against him (that we know of).
Jackson is a veteran of the sheriff’s office and is supposed to know the department policies inside and out by this time in his lengthy career. So what does he do when presented with a perfect opportunity to help teach and mentor his recently hired, still on probation, wet behind the ears daughter who was not long out of the basic training academy and now a deputy with the sheriff’s office? He fails completely… strike 2. This experienced dad should well know that the tactical rifle his daughter pulled out of her patrol car and gave to him was capable of firing a powerful bullet that could travel and be potentially lethal at a couple of miles. And despite knowing his rural community has nearby houses just beyond his property line, some of them obscured or completely hidden by trees on the property, he violates department policy and fires off a round anyway.
The daughter, for her part, surely was instructed to read and commit to memory pertinent department policies, the most consequential and important ones being those that pertain to the handling and use of department firearms. Since she was recently hired, ALL of the firearms handling and use policies should have been fresh in her mind, especially due to present circumstances the one which specified that department firearms are not to be practice fired anywhere except at an authorized department range. Certainly NOT at her parent’s house out in the yard. Whether or not she tried to stop her dad from actually pulling the trigger, or was surprised at his actions, all she did was place the rifle back in her patrol car and leave like nothing happened. And she made it worse for herself by keeping quiet and, let’s say, “forgetting” to let her supervisors be aware of a mistake in judgement on her part that could have saved her career had she been up front and acknowledged her boo boo of letting her incompetent dad handle her tactical rifle.
So to sum up this regrettable, could have easily been fatal, misuse of a powerful sheriff’s tactical rifle by someone who definitely should have known better had he possessed the integrity and good judgement required of a competent veteran law enforcement officer, now both he and his rookie daughter are no out of jobs in law enforcement. The good news is there are two deputy openings for upstanding law enforcement candidates who believe they are capable of 1 )following orders, 2) reading, understanding and complying with rules of conduct and written department policies, and most important of all… 3) using good judgement and making wise decisions, not careless ones than nearly take the life of innocent civilians due to abject negligence!
Good on the sheriff’s office internal investigation and previous comments from sheriff’s command staff who indicated that they would complete a thorough, unbiased investigation into this serious breach of policy, even after the state attorney declined to prosecute the dad for accidently shooting that young child. The sheriff’s officials lived up to their word.
Samuel L. Bronkowitz says
Eh, Flagler Beach will hire him.
Don't believe says
Are we sure he didnt just cover for his deputy daughter?
WouldntYouLikeToKnow says
GOOD. Now get the rest of his disgusting family out of the department, all of them have proven to be criminals being protected by their criminal gang.
FCSO has undone decades of goodwill with the community.
JF says
Anyone else would have been booked into the Green Rood Inn and would have had to bond out. Makes me sick to see what these deputies get away with. There is no room for double standards in my book!
Notjoker says
This town needs an enema.
Shark says
They should have dumped him a long time ago when his drunken son was involved in a fatal hit and run accident and he obstucted the investigation. I only hope that they decertify him !!!
Doug says
I was taught early in life that when you fire a gun, you own that round and the repercussions that follow.
The dude says
Yeeee hawww!!!
I guess indiscriminately firing weapons in Flagler isn’t illegal anywhere.
Last week I was on Hernandez ave in the hammock when a dumb bubba started shooting his gun in the yard. When challenged he started drunkenly yelling about needing to kill a possum. And to “go ahead and call the cops!!!”…
Apparently two weeks ago it took him 3-4 shots to “kill a rattlesnake”.
Lots on Hernandez are like 1/3 acre mind you, not multi acres.
Ed P says
Hello Dude,
Com on. Who hasn’t hunted pesky wabbits after a couple of beers.
Long live Florida man!
Ps was he shirtless and in jean cutoffs and barefooted? What about his beard?
PSs real question : was Ty Pennington at home?
The dude says
A real man doesn’t need multiple shots to kill a possum or rattlesnake. But his mullet was glorious…
karmaliveson says
There’s a 3rd decent from this model family, whom is a punk too, looking to ensure the Jackson’s legacy will live on proudly. What a model family in the Mondex currently, nonetheless!!
Samuel L. Bronkowitz says
If they required police to be licensed and bonded then he’d be unable to just slink away to the next department. Just saying.
John Stove says
Good riddance…..this guy is a moron shooting that type of weapon in a neigborhood
Bye Felicia
KK says
Does the fact that he resigned before sanctions were brought against him allow him to keep his pension? Inquiring minds want to know!
I hope the family of the boy brings a civil suit against them. They need to be held accountable in some way.
Skibum says
I am a retired law enforcement officer (not from FL) and I have been receiving my law enforcement pension for about 14 years so far. I don’t have any knowledge of Flagler County’s retirement system, but this is how it normally works for public employees:
Both the employee and the agency contribute a specified amount of money each payroll period to the retirement system that oversees and collects pension benefits for that agency’s public employees.. This continues throughout the employee’s career until they reach the point to where they are eligible to retire and collect their monthly retirement benefits. They usually cannot claim all of it until they have met the retirement eligibility criteria, having worked a specified number of years or reached a certain age, whatever is specified in the language that governs public sector retirement. In the event an employee chooses to resign from a government agency before reaching that eligibility period, they always get to keep whatever portion of retirement funds that have been contributed through payroll deduction from the employee, but they do not receive any of the funds that the agency contributed.
Concerned citizen says
Just another one if Staley’s finest. This sheriff has to go. No one in the sheriff s association respects him. He has a 3rd grade level operating system in that thick head of his. His hires are trash. His deputies are not trained and don’t know the laws. All he does is lie to the public and continue to create a police state while making the public believe he’s doi g it for the safety of the community. Palm coast is not safe. The numbers are fudged. The drugs and crime here are over the top. Guy is a thug in a uniform that hides behind his badge.
Common Sense says
Absolutely ridiculous!
I remember hearing about this when it happened, and I also read about it at the time. I only read the title of this article, but I believe my opinion still stands.
Any sworn law enforcement officer or public official who unlawfully discharges any type of weapon has immediately demonstrated negligence in fulfilling his or her sworn duties. There should be no expenditure of additional time, taxpayer money, or other public resources on an investigation under such circumstances. The individual should be relieved of duty immediately.