Jacksonville officer shot, in critical condition

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (FLV) – A Jacksonville police officer was allegedly shot Tuesday night and is in critical condition.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, an officer was shot by a suspect in the face through the suspect’s car window while attempting to get the alleged shooter out of their vehicle after they fled the scene of a hospital parking lot where another officer attempted to stop them.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said this is the third officer who has been shot this year and is the fifth officer involved shooting this year.

“That is something that I’ve never seen in the 32 years, or 31 and a half years that I’ve been working here, this is the third one,” Waters said. “I’ve been sheriff since November. It’s getting very ridiculous, it’s very dangerous, and it’s concerning.”

An off-duty officer noticed a suspicious vehicle circling a hospital parking lot, according to Waters. The officer investigated and attempted to stop the car, and the suspect fled the scene and refused to stop.

Other officers responded to the scene at the hospital. One officer spotted the vehicle and rolled up next to the suspect and told him to “stop the car.”

Waters said the suspect rolled down the window, held out “what looked like a gun,” and said “shoot me.” Officers did not shoot the suspect.

According to Waters, the suspect fired one shot into a police car and the officer did not return fire.

Other officers began to follow the vehicle and the suspect “somehow” got behind a police car and pushed the car forward, veering him off the road.

After the suspect hit the police car, they then ran into another police car head-on and crashed into a pole. The police officers blocked the suspect in and attempted to get him out of the car with “loud verbal commands.” The suspect refused to get out of the vehicle.

One officer approached the right rear door of the suspect’s vehicle and as he reached to open the door, the suspect fired a shot through the window, striking the officer in the face. At that point, officers returned fire and struck the suspect “several times” and the suspect died at the scene.

Waters said the officers at the scene “did the right thing” by making sure the suspect did not go into the hospital, where “who knows what could have happened.”

The officer who was shot is in the hospital in “critical condition.” All other officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.

Waters said they are conducting an investigation and it can last for “quite a while” because it is a very “large scene.”