A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officer was shot in the face in northwest Jacksonville Friday night during a confrontation with a robbery suspect, who died in the exchange, authorities said.
The shooting took place after five JSO officers responded to a possible robbery and located a possible suspect, who failed to comply and shot the officers, according to Sheriff TK Waters. Each of the officers returned fire, killing the suspect, he said.
The injured officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital.
“I’m lucky we didn’t lose an officer tonight,” Sheriff Waters said at a news conference Friday night.
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Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said an officer was shot in the face on Friday night, January 20, 2023.
The sheriff opened the press conference by saying that officers often expect to return home safely and that this incident was a good example of that night.
“People think it’s a cliché that officers just want to go home safely every night, but there’s no more testimony like what happened tonight,” Waters said.
Waters explained that the shooting was the culmination of investigative efforts that began at 5:30 pm, when officers received calls about a possible burglary at a residence “very close” to the eventual shooting. The shooting occurred “about two blocks” from the initial residence, Waters later said.
“Officers were following up on that robbery and around 6:30 pm located a suspect and a suspect’s vehicle in the 1800 block of Hardee St.,” he said.
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The suspect was asleep in the rear passenger seat, Waters said.
“They approached the vehicle, spoke to an inhabitant of the house in that location and found out who was inside the vehicle,” he added.
The sheriff said police were able to trace some of the stolen items back to the residence.
The five JSO officers returned to the car, formulated a plan, and noticed the gun on the roof. The firearm was removed.
“They made a plan to open the door, not go in, and have a conversation with him. [the male suspect]Waters explained.
“They asked him to show his hands on several occasions, like seven or eight times, from different officers,” he continued. “They asked him to get out of the car as well.”
Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said officers fatally shot a suspect who first shot officers on the night of Friday, January 20, 2023.
(FOX 30 Jacksonville)
He refused, told police not to shine a flashlight in his face and “for an unknown reason” fired at the officers, Waters said.
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The bullet grazed the officer’s face on the left side.
“The officers returned fire, all five of them, hitting him multiple times. [and] killing him at the scene,” the sheriff said.
Police did not say why the firearm was on the roof.
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The sheriff explained that the five officers were placed on administrative leave per office policy.
He said he was “grateful” that his officers were alive and well.
The JSO and the State Attorney’s Office are investigating the incident.
