- July 16, 2026
An Ormond Beach woman who sustained a head injury while in police custody for a DUI charge in 2024 has filed a federal lawsuit against the city and the ex-officer responsible.
Shanna McRee was arrested on Dec. 6, 2024, for driving under the influence after she crashed into a motorcyclist on West Granada Boulevard. While in custody of the Ormond Beach Police Department, then-officer Jacob Cannon administered a breath test to McRee, who was seated in front of him with her hands cuffed behind her back.
While in the room, McRee stood up and remained standing in front of the chair for a few seconds. According to the lawsuit, Cannon "became enraged, yelled 'F------ sit down, b----!'" and slammed her head down into the top of the metal chair. The chair then bounced off a wall and McRee fell to the floor.
She suffered a deep laceration to her forehead, causing significant bleeding, and later received seven sutures at the hospital. Cannon reportedly made no attempts to provide medical assistance at the time of McRee's injury.
After she was escorted to a holding cell, McRee walked toward Cannon, at which point he "extended his arm into" her and she fell back onto a concrete bench and floor, the lawsuit states.
OBPD reports that Cannon was placed on administrative leave after an immediate review of the incident as two investigations were started — a criminal investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and an internal affairs investigation. O
Cannon resigned from OBPD as the criminal investigation led toward a felony battery charge in late January 2025, and turned himself in to the Volusia County Branch Jail.
"This incident does not represent the way we police our community," Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said in the statement released in February 2025. "The men and women who do professional and compassionate work on a daily basis serving our citizens have no tolerance for this type of behavior. I have no tolerance for this type of behavior.
"I would also like to publicly apologize to the victim in this case, and I am sorry that this happened to you," Godfrey's statement continued. "Rest assured that the former officer is being held accountable for his actions."
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court's Orlando Division on July 13 by attorney Rob Cook, of St. Augustine, claims the city had an "actual notice" that Cannon "possessed a level of dominance seen in only 6% of police officers," and that the city knew he had been arrested for juvenile sexual battery, a charge to which he pled guilty.
McRee suffered physical pain, emotional distress, permanent scarring and incurred medical expenses as a result of the two incidents that took place while under police custody, according to the lawsuit, which alleges three counts of violations of civil rights concerning the use of excessive force and a failure on the city's part to adequately train and supervise its officers about the appropriate use of force against individuals in custody. The lawsuit also includes one count of assault and battery, and two counts of negligence.
Cannon, a Palm Coast resident, was first hired by OBPD in February 2023 and was working as a patrol officer at the time of the incident.
Cannon was convicted of felony battery in August 2025. He was sentenced to six months in county jail, followed by two years of probation.
McRee was convicted of her DUI charge in July 2025. She was sentenced to a year of probation and had her driver's license suspended for six months. McRee was also sentenced to two days in county jail, which she received credit for, and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service work, which she could convert to a fine at $10 an hour.
