On March 20, 2017, Florida’s Sheriff’s office was on high alert for possible assaults following an attempted rape.
As deputies were investigating the case, the Sheriff’s deputies began receiving calls reporting that a man had allegedly assaulted a woman.
As the investigation began, a witness told deputies that she had seen the man, a 24-year-old black male, assault a woman in the parking lot of the Jacksonville Police Department’s Westside precinct on Saturday, March 18, 2017.
When deputies arrived, they were able to interview the man and identified him as 24–year old Michael Taylor, a convicted rapist who had been charged with aggravated sexual battery, aggravated assault and robbery.
He is being held at the Monroe County Jail on $25,000 bond.
The woman told deputies Taylor, who was also known by his nickname, the “Dangerously,” was “on top of her” and had attempted to rape her.
The man’s identity and possible motive for the assault were not immediately released, but authorities are working to determine the details of the attack and what the motive was for the attempted rape, according to the Miami Herald.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Florida Sheriff Michael T. Williamson announced the arrest of Taylor and said he will be charged as a suspect.
The suspect is described as a white male, in his early 20s, 5’10” tall, weighing 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, dark blue jeans, and black shoes.
Authorities also released surveillance video of the alleged assault.
On Monday, Williamson released the following statement to ABC News: “We have zero tolerance for sexual assault, and this case is not isolated.
Our officers, from the outset, have responded to these reports and responded appropriately.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department has made every effort to assist the victims in their time of need and is continuing to do so.
“Williamson also said the Sheriff was taking a “wait and see” approach to the investigation, adding that the department was not releasing the suspect’s name until after he was arrested.
The Sheriff’s department will hold a press conference on Thursday, March 25, at 3 p.m.
EDT, to discuss the investigation and to provide updates regarding any additional information.
The safety and well-being of our deputies and our community is our highest priority. “
I want to emphasize that this was a violent assault and I hope the victims of this crime will learn from this.
The safety and well-being of our deputies and our community is our highest priority.
As soon as the Sheriff is able to provide more details on this matter, we will release that information as soon as it is available.”
On Monday evening, the man who is the suspect in the case was arrested and is being charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault and first-level robbery.
In the wake of the arrest, Williamson issued an apology for the “inappropriate actions of some of our officers.”
He added: “The Jacksonville Sheriff Department is committed to providing our deputies with the highest quality of service, and our department is dedicated to providing justice in all cases.”
Williamson added that he and his deputies were “not prepared to comment on the specifics of the case,” adding that “we will work with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office to determine whether any charges will be filed.”
In a statement to the Herald, the Miami County Sheriff’s Association released a letter to the newspaper from its President, Richard S. Stivers, that called for the arrest and prosecution of Taylor.
In it, the group said that Stivers was “in contact with the victim of this case, and will continue to provide her with all necessary information regarding the case.”
“We will not allow this criminal behavior to happen in our community, nor will we tolerate this behavior in our office, and we ask the public to pray for the victims, their families and their law enforcement agencies,” the letter said.
The group called for Stivers to resign, citing his involvement in the “routine harassment and intimidation” of the women involved in the cases.
Storsson, who is currently serving a five-year term as the Jacksonville County Sheriff, was first elected sheriff in 2011.
The organization urged members to reach out to their representatives in the Miami City Council to call for Storss resignation.
The sheriff has not yet responded to ABC’s request for comment.
The Miami-based Center for Investigative Reporting reported in March 2017 that Storsdons office was the subject of an internal investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement after the group obtained documents detailing allegations of sexual misconduct by the sheriff. The
