Many believe crooks and criminals to not be among the smartest people walking around. Sometimes, they confirm that belief. It’s as if they set out wanting to get caught. That’s probably not as logical as the notion that they’re just not the “sharpest pencils in the box.”
For instance, if you’re planning to break into a home and rob someone’s safe, it’s probably not a good idea to have the combination written on the back of your hand. Bank robbers would be well served to not carry a street map with their getaway route highlighted.
These may seem like senseless mistakes, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that they’ve happened. Frequently, police encounter situations where the criminal helps them do their job. A Polk County, Florida man did just that.
The Polk County Sheriff’s office responded to a shooting in Davenport, Florida. Deputies arrived at the shooting scene at around 2:30 in the morning. They found a victim lying on the front lawn. After attempts to revive the man failed, he was pronounced dead.
What might be considered pretty typical police procedure had a bizarre twist. Thomas Jackson was celebrating his 35th birthday. Apparently, Jackson became a bit too festive. The victim apparently attempted to calm Jackson down.
The two reportedly walked outside to talk. Moments after the two men exited the home, witnesses reported hearing gunshots. Two women raced out of the house and found Jackson standing over top the victim. A handgun was lying on the ground.
Again, nothing was out of the ordinary when talking about a possible homicide. Jackson insisted that the victim came at him, and he feared for his safety. But in Jackson’s pocket, deputies found an interesting item. Jackson had a wallet-sized card with instructions.
The instructions weren’t about how to change the screen size on his mobile phone. The card gave Jackson step-by-step instructions on how to talk to and what to say to police, “post incident.” In essence, Jackson had what he thought was a “get out of jail free” card.
Sheriff Grady Judd had different ideas. Judd said, “If he thought he could murder someone and use this as a get out of jail free card, he was sadly mistaken.” Nice try, but maybe Jackson should have memorized his lines before attempting to pull off his “Oscar-winning performance.”
Witnesses interviewed by Polk County investigators said this isn’t the only time Jackson has brandished a firearm during a confrontational situation. He was also reportedly involved in another physical scuffle earlier that same day.
His arrest history indicated a battery with a deadly weapon charge, among others. Jackson was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. We suppose if you’re going to shoot someone, it’s probably not a good idea to put a card with your police talking points in your wallet.