JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Six weeks after a Jaguars player was shot 14 times while sitting in his vehicle in Riverside, Jacksonville police announced they have arrested the man they believe fired the shots.
Offensive tackle Richard Collier was shot Sept. 2 while he and former teammate Kenneth Pettway were waiting outside an apartment for two women, when someone approached and began firing.
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Tyrone Hartsfield, 32, was arrested Saturday and charged in Collier's shooting.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Undersheriff Frank Mackesy said Hartsfield and Collier were in a bar fight in April and Hartsfield had filed a police report claiming Collier punched him.
Collier was in critical condition for days and his surgeon at Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center said most people would not have survived the extent of the injuries. Doctors said one of the bullets hit his spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, and a blood clot caused him to lose a leg.
Collier was released from the hospital last week and was receiving therapy at an undisclosed location while his shooter was still at large.
Pettway was not injured in the shooting.
Police said the case against Hartsfield was made based on cell phone data and witness interviews. Investigators believe Collier's shooting was in retaliation for the April altercation.
Mackesy said Hartsfield saw Collier at a San Marco nightspot on Sept. 2, followed his Cadillac Escalade to the Riverside apartment and opened fire.
Mackesy said that while the $26,000 reward offered in the case generated many tips, none of them led to the arrest of Hartsfield.
"This case was cleared on the good hard police work of the men you see standing here with me," Mackesy said at a Saturday afternoon news conference.
Police said Hartsfield has a lengthy criminal history. He was being held without bond in the Duval County jail.
Previous Stories:
- October 14, 2008: Rel Rio: Collier Out Of Hospital, Recovering
- October 1, 2008: Woman With Collier On Night Of Shooting Says She Is Tormented
- September 30, 2008: College Honors Collier By Wearing His Number On Helmet
- September 30, 2008: Surgeon: Collier Paralyzed, Loses Left Leg
- September 10, 2008: Woman With Collier On Night Of Shooting Speaks Out
- September 9, 2008: Teammates Add To Reward In Collier Shooting Case
- September 5, 2008: Report: Collier Making Gradual Improvement
- September 3, 2008: Jaguars Tackle Critical After Shooting