Police: 18-year-old charged after 2 chases, manhunt

Officer fires twice at man holding gun in traffic stop, but misses, police say

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – An 18-year-old is facing multiple charges after an officer-involved shooting, two police chases and a manhunt that followed a 911 call warning of a possible retaliation shooting, according to the Gainesville Police Department.

No one was injured in the officer-involved shooting.

James Vincent Barber of Riviera Beach is charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding, tampering with evidence, two counts of resisting arrest without violence and driving without a valid license.

According to police, a 911 call about 6:30 p.m. Sunday offered a tip that people involved in a shooting Saturday in Alachua County were planning a retaliation shooting at T.B. McPherson Park.

Police said the incident could have ended tragically if not for the warning call.

“We know the shooting has happened already, and we know the retaliation is very likely, so when we get exact information to who the suspect is, that they are armed with a handgun -- once you find that specific vehicle, you know what's about to happen,” GPD spokesman Officer Ben Tobias said. “You know what is in that vehicle. So we are very happy that no one, including the officer, was hurt.”

The caller reported information to GPD about a white Nissan that the suspects were driving toward SE 15th Street, and officers responded to the area to look for the vehicle.

A white Nissan turned into the Woodland Park complex on SE 4th Street, and after the driver saw a stationary GPD police car, the Nissan accelerated and sped away before the patrol car initiated a traffic stop, police said.

GPD officers caught up to the vehicle and tried to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver of the Nissan continued speeding away for a short distance before stopping in the rear of the complex, police said.

The male driver, later identified as Barber, got out of the vehicle holding a handgun and turned to face the GPD officer who was conducting the traffic stop, according to police. The officer fired two shots at Barber, but did not strike him, and Barber ran off on foot, police said.

A .40-caliber handgun magazine loaded with ammunition was found in Barber's flight path, and an intense search involving multiple officers, K-9s and the Joint Aviation Unit helicopter began, police said. Officers developed information about an hour later that led them to find Barber at T.B. McPherson Park, police said.

Barber ran off again and entered another vehicle, which drove away from the park at a high rate of speed, police said.

GPD officers stopped the second vehicle on SE 41st Avenue and Barber was found in that vehicle and taken into custody without incident, police said. He was found to have no injuries. A passenger in the Nissan at the original traffic stop also ran off on foot and has not been identified, police said.

Police are looking for that passenger, who is not facing charges.

According to GPD, the gun that Barber was holding (pictured) was found early Monday morning in the Evergreen Cemetery along Barber's flight path.

Since the officer-involved shooting did not involve any injuries, the investigation will be conducted by the Gainesville Police Criminal Investigation Division and Internal Affairs Division, GPD said. The involved GPD officer will be placed on administrative duty, which is a routine procedure for all officer-involved shootings.

Barber is being held without bond in the Alachua County Jail.

According to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, the shooting that sparked the possible retaliation was at AllStar Sports Bar during a large fight. Deputies said a man showed up at UF Health Shands in Gainesville early Saturday morning with a gunshot wound to the back.

Police are working to find out who else was at the bar and why the 911 caller believed that Barber planned to retaliate.


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