WATCH: Viral video showing Florida cops wrongfully arresting blind man James Hodges sparks backlash online

Two Florida deputies have found themselves on the receiving end of criticism after video footage of James Hodges' arrest gained traction on the internet. The 61-year-old, who claimed to be legally blind, was stopped and arrested for carrying a metal cane and for refusing to identify himself.

Bodycam footage obtained and made public by Hodges shows the harassment he faced. A Columbia County officer, identified as Deputy Jayme Gohde in an affidavit, questioned him about the foldable cane in his back pocket. An immediately defensive James Hodges can be heard saying:

"It’s a navigational aid, what’s the problem, are you a tyrant?"

The officers proceeded to ask him his name and date of birth. When James Hodges refused to divulge personal information, the situation escalated. He firmly insisted that he had not committed any crimes and that there was no reason for the officers to think he had.

The video shows Deputy Gohde calling her supervisor to explain that the 61-year-old Hodge could be carrying a metal weapon. The officers attempted to arrest Hodges and when he asked them for their badge numbers, the supervising officer said:

"You know I’ll put you in jail for resisting."

He was arrested for resisting arrest without violence and his bail was set at $1,000.

Referring to the footage, a spokesperson told The Daily Beast:

"Sheriff Hunter is troubled by what he has seen in the video and the matter is being addressed. If policy violations are sustained at the conclusion of that investigation, appropriate action will be taken."

The officers involved in the incident are reportedly under internal investigation as an administrative investigation was initiated on November 3, 2022.

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Video of James Hodges' arrest left the internet outraged

61-year-old James Hodges, a legally blind man who was arrested for carrying a metal foldable cane that apparently looked like a 'gun,' posted bodycam footage of the incident online. Since then, the video has gone viral on social media platforms, with users condemning the officers for acting like they are above the law.

Twitter user Stuart66in56 replied to the video saying:

"It appears she was going to let him go until he said he was going to make it an issue and wanted their badge numbers. She arrested him out of spite."

Another user agreed, saying that the question of arresting Hodges came up after he asked for their badge numbers. User Northern_Wolfie said:

"The correct response would have been, 'oh, my mistake. I'm sorry, can I make it up to you? Do you want a ride home or anything?' But nope, they chose 'we'll make up a charge and shame you to cover our ignorance.'"

The footage, which has been viewed over 146,000 times on YouTube, also did the rounds on Reddit, with users posting comments in support of James Hodges.

Reddit user ShiroHori commented under the video:

"Police and their fragile ego... Cant talk back to them, cant reason with them. Dude cleared the suspicion of holding a firearm and still trying to detain the man. These people really shouldnt be allowed to be cops. Always trying to escalate situations and get a good arrest story to inflate their egos.."

The Daily Beast reported that according to a jail log, Hodges was behind bars for 26 hours before he was released.