JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A suspect in a case of possible sexual battery was shot by a police officer after a car chase and wreck on the Westside, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

Authorities said that police arriving at a home on Woodside Street about 5:30 a.m. heard a friend of the victim talking on speakerphone with the suspect, Darrell Paige, when they heard Paige say that police were following him, he had drugs and, "Don't worry, I've got my .38."

Other officers briefly pursued the suspect, who was traveling in the victim's vehicle, until he ran into a tree.

The man attempted to flee on foot.

Officers said when the man was ordered to stop, he began fiddling with his waistband. At that point, police fired two shots, one hitting the man in the leg.

"State statue allows, actually, (us) to use force -- up to deadly force to apprehend a fleeing forcible felon, which sexual battery obviously is," said Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Chief Dwain Senterfitt.

People who live in the Westside neighborhood where the police-involved shooting took place said they aren't used to seeing crime tape or police cars.

"The man on the ground was screaming for help, 'bout 15-20 police standing over him," said neighbor Tim Goodman.

Paige was transported to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center, where he was in fair condition.

Officers said they found an open pocketknife in the Paige's waistband and also found some drugs, but no gun.

Officer Terry Jones, who fired the shots, was not injured. He was placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation, which is standard procedure after a police-involved shooting.

Two chiefs and more than a dozen detectives and patrol officers were at the corner of Woodside Street and Canal Street in the hours after the shooting.

This is the 16th police-involved shooting incident in 2007.