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Neighbors, Family Outraged After Officer Shoots, Kills Teen

POSTED: Sunday, January 21, 2007

The officer-involved shooting that claimed the life of an 18-year-old has many neighbors and family members of the teen asking some tough questions.

According to police, on Saturday at about 7:30 p.m., 18-year-old Douglas Woods tried to rob an undercover officer at the Sable Palms Apartments off Emerson Road.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said Woods had a gun and that evidence shows that he fired at the officer.

The officer fired back in self-defense, killing Woods, according to authorities. Police said Woods' weapon was recovered at the scene.

However, family members and witnesses to the shooting said that was not what happened. Many were outraged about the shooting, saying Woods was a good kid.

"He was standing in the parking lot, like they always do, and the police pulled up on them. Everybody ran away except my child, and he threw his hands up. They said they shot him about eight times," Woods' mother, Machealle Woods said. "Why? I want to know why."

On Sunday, a group of neighbors in the area gathered to talk about the incident and express their feelings.

"(We're) mad ... and hurt. If you had walked out of my door last night and heard that little boy's mother hollering, you would see why everybody feels the way they do," said a neighbor who asked not to be identified.

Channel 4's Emily Pantelides talked to witness Tyronnie Dennis, who said what Woods had in his hand at the time of the shooting, was a cell phone. She said she believes the officers mistook the phone for a gun.

Map: Police Shooting on Emerson Street
Dennis said she was sitting outside on the stairs, smoking a cigarette when Woods was shot.

"I heard the shots ring out, and the boy hit the ground. There was only one gun fired. He didn't shoot back. He had a cell phone. He did not have a gun," said Dennis.

Woods' family members told Channel 4 that their loved one was not the kind of kid that would ever carry a gun. They said he was a high school graduate and was supposed to go to college sometime soon.

"He doesn't carry a gun. He's not that type of person," said Woods' sister. "I wish I could have just told him I love him before he went away."

Woods' shooting death has left the community with many questions and few answers.

According to JSO, the officer involved in the shooting, Officer J. Taylor, has been placed on administrative leave.

Detectives continue to investigate the shooting.

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