New evidence obtained in case against man charged with shooting detective

Discovery material includes 911 calls, interview with Kevin Rojas

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New evidence was obtained Wednesday from State Attorney's Office in the case against a 20-year-old man accused of shooting and injuring a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detective who was taking his son to school last year.

Kevin Rojas has pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder of a police officer, two counts of aggravated assault of a police officer, shooting into an occupied vehicle and other charges.

News4Jax on Wednesday obtained more discovery material, which include a written statement from the detective, six 911 calls, an audiotape with Rojas in his hospital bed as well as audiotape interviews with Rojas' girlfriend and his two other roommates. 

According to investigators, Rojas was driving erratically when he pulled over by the off-duty narcotics detective, who was taking his son to school, on Collins Road near Roosevelt Boulevard just after 7 a.m. March 9, 2016. Rojas' roommates said he had a fight with his girlfriend before he left their house, and they believe he was determined to shoot an officer.

As the detective was getting out of the car, Rojas got out of a white Cadillac and "immediately began shooting" at the detective, "striking him multiple times," according to supplemental reports released earlier this month. 

In a three-page written statement from the still unnamed detective, he explains what happened, and how -- even though he'd been shot in the head and hand -- he fired back at Rojas, and tried to get his tactical vest out of the trunk of his car and put it on.

"The windshield shattered in front of him," the statement said. "Realized he was being fired upon by the driver of the Cadillac. Fearing for his safety and the safety on his son, he exited his car and was struck in the head by one of the shots."

Some good Samaritans quickly arrived to help them, the detective recounted in the statement. 

"Multiple civilian witnesses then approached and began to treat his injuries until other police officers and medical personnel arrived," the statement reads.

Several workers from nearby Partridge Well Drilling rushed to help the detective, putting pressure on his wounds and making sure his son was OK.

According to the Sheriff's Office, Rojas was chased by other officers after he stole a pickup truck to flee the scene. He was shot three times on the back porch of the home he shared with his girlfriend and roommates. 

There are six 911 calls in the new discovery material. The first call informs dispatch that an officer had been shot. 

Caller 1: "There's an officer shooting over here off of Collins Road in Orange Park."
Dispatcher: "What happened out there, sir?"
Caller 1: "We had an officer get shot at the railroad tracks. A police officer." 

The sixth call was placed by the man who was carjacked.

Caller 6: "Hey! Someone just stole my truck! Hey!"

The discovery material also contains several audiotape interviews -- one with Rojas, one with his girlfriend and two others with his other roommates.

The brief, six-minute audiotape with Rojas was recorded while he was in his hospital bed, recovering from being shot after pursuing officers caught up with him.

In the audio, an officer says he heard Rojas was distraught and suicidal that morning. Rojas says, "No." The cop asks, "Not accurate?" and Rojas responds, "Just a little." The cop then asks what part and Rojas answers, "Suicide thoughts." 

In the interview with Rojas' girlfriend, she says when she told him that morning she was breaking up with him, Rojas put a gun to his head and said he'd kill himself.

"He was crying. He burned my things. He was pointing the gun at his head, and that he was going to kill himself," she says in the audiotape.

There are also two audiotape interviews with Rojas' two roommates. 

Rojas remains in the Duval County Jail awaiting trial, which is scheduled for July.


About the Authors:

Kent Justice co-anchors News4Jax's 5 p.m., 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts weeknights and reports on government and politics. He also hosts "This Week in Jacksonville," Channel 4's hot topics and politics public affairs show each Sunday morning at 9 a.m.