WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Palm Beach County deputy Jerald Alderman is facing serious charges for a confrontation that was caught on camera at a West Palm Beach parking lot earlier this month.
Cell phone video showed Alderman, who was off-duty at the time, holding a gun and yelling profanities at a group of men in a car early on the morning of Oct. 12.
"Get the [EXPLETIVE] out of here now!" Alderman yelled in the video. "What do you think going to happen [EXPLETIVE]? What do you think?"
Alderman was arrested for aggravated assault with a firearm and using a firearm while under the influence of alcohol. He is currently out of jail on bond and on administrative leave with pay while the case goes through court.
🔽 DEPUTY BONDS OUT OF JAIL 🔽
However, WPTV Contact 5 found this isn’t the first time Alderman has been accused of losing his temper.
Last year, Alderman had another off-duty incident. According to paperwork inside Alderman’s personnel file, the deputy was accused of threatening his neighbor while she was "cutting vines off the back of her fence."
According to the complaint, the woman said Alderman "screamed at her to get off his property" or "he would shoot her."
Alderman denied the claim but said illegally trespassing is "a good way to get yourself shot."
Investigators did not find enough evidence to "clearly prove or disprove the complaint."
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Contact 5 Investigations
Alderman has been in law enforcement for nearly 20 years, starting as a drill instructor for the Martin County Sheriff's Office in 2000. He joined the Royal Palm Beach Police Department in 2002. Documents show he got "a one-day suspension for minor issues."
When PBSO took over Royal Palm Beach's police force in 2006, Alderman applied and kept his road patrol job.
From 2007 to 2017, Alderman received corrective action for eight incidents including neglect of duty, improper conduct, and failing to report use of force. Documents show he also received a 16-hour suspension in 2017 for failing to be "respectful toward superiors" and not complying with direct orders.
There were also positive marks in his record. Alderman received special recognition for assisting in a home invasion robbery in 2006. He was also nominated three different times for Deputy of the Month in 2008.
