Suspect shot by officer in NW Jacksonville

Detectives were conducting an undercover drug operation in neighborhood

JACKSONVILLE Fla. – An undercover narcotics detective shot a 31-year-old man Monday evening after police said he ignored commands to stop reaching for a gun.

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detectives were conducting undercover operations at 6 p.m. in a neighborhood on 4th Avenue near Clyde Drive, just off Lem Turner Road.

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Moments after the undercover officers made a drug buy at a house on 4th Avenue, detectives in marked tactical vests went to further investigate the house where the drugs were bought.

Police said three detectives got out of the vehicle and a man who was standing in the carport area turned toward one of the detectives and lifted his shirt, where a handgun was visible to police.

The man then started to reach for the gun and detectives gave commands to stop, but the man began to remove it from his waistline, police said. The detective then fired at least two shots at the man, hitting him in the side and back. 

The 31-year-old man was taken to UF Health Jacksonville, where he was in surgery but in stable condition.

The detective who fired the shots was put on administrative leave, which is standard procedure. He was not named because he's undercover.

The suspect did not fire his gun and no officers were injured in the shooting.

Police said they have four people in custody, including the man who was shot by police. Police said Monday night that they were still working to get inside the house where the drugs were purchased.

“When you have these things, you not only have to worry about the protection of your own life, but you have to worry about the protection of your partner, you have to worry about the protection of innocent citizens who live in this area and are in the immediate surroundings," JSO Chief Tom Hackney said. "I don't second-guess what the detective or officer involved in the shooting would do, especially here within a couple hours of it."

Monday night's shooting was about four blocks away from the Hilly Road home where a mother and her 12-year-old daughter were shot in their home early Sunday morning.

Police said they believe that the Hilly Road shooting had something to do with drugs, but they weren't sure if it was connected to the 4th Avenue shooting.

This was the fifth police-involved shooting in Jacksonville in 2016 -- the second this month. There were 10 police-involved shootings last year; five of them were deadly. 


About the Authors:

Emmy-nominated journalist Kristin Cason joined the News 6 team in June 2016.