Two men suspected in separate robberies of convenience stores on opposite sides of town overnight were shot and killed by police officers.

The first incident began about midnight Sunday on the Westside after the robbery of a store at Roosevelt Boulevard and Timuquana Road.

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Director of Investigations Dwain Senterfitt said a patrol officer saw what he believed was the suspect's car on Collins Road as it turned into the Whispering Pines Apartment Complex. During an attempted traffic stop, the suspect shot at police and the officer shot back, Senterfitt said.

The suspect took off in his car and drove to another apartment complex. Police said the man stopped, got out of his car fired more shots at two officers as he ran.

"There was a foot pursuit around the apartment complex where there was still an exchange of gunfire," Senterfitt said. "Around the front of the complex ... the suspect was shot several times and he was killed there at the scene."

Police said no officers were injured in the exchange of gunfire.

"In the last just over a year, we have had four officers actually shot in this town," Senterfitt said. "We are real fortunate in the case."

Investigators said so many shots were fired, officers went door-to-door in the immediate area making sure no one was hit by stray bullets.

Senterfitt said that because there are three crime scenes -- the convenience store and the two apartment complexes -- the investigation will take a while.

Two More Robberies, Second Shooting As investigators responded to the Westside incident, there was a separate police-involved shooting on the Southside.

Officers were responding to reports of armed robberies minutes apart at Beach and Hodges boulevards and Beach Boulevard and San Pablo Road.

JSO Undersheriff Frank Mackesy said police caught up with two suspects in a vehicle around J. Turner Butler and Hodges boulevards about 12:30 p.m. Police said a chase ensued on the Southside. The chase ended on Cortez Road just south of Atlantic Boulevard when police said a suspect lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a telephone pole.

Police said both suspects fled in opposite directions. Police caught up with one, but lost track of the other.

After calls from residents in the area on someone running through yards, an officer caught up with the second suspect.

"An officer confronted the suspect in the back yard of the home and the suspect was shot," Mackesy said.

That man died at the scene.

Mackesy said there was reason to believe a gun was used in the original robbery but it was too early to say if the suspect had a gun or pulled a weapon when he was shot.

The two police-involved shootings are the 26th and 27th of 2008. Last year at this time, there were 16 shootings in 15 incidents.

Police are expected to release more information at a 2 p.m. briefing. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, with complete reports on the local station beginning at 5 p.m.