FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office employee is facing charges after pulling a gun on people while trying to fuel up at a Flagler County gas station on Tuesday, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said.
Tensions are high as many people are making sure they have whatever they need before Irma.
The Sheriff’s Office said although supplies are starting to run low, fighting over resources is not the answer.
A trip to the Mobil gas station on Pine Lakes Parkway turned violent Tuesday when Flager County sheriff's investigators said a JSO employee pulled out his gun and pointed it at another man pulling up to the same gas pump as him.
Investigators said this all happened while the gas station was full of people preparing for Hurricane Irma.
"As it comes closer and closer, you may see this type of thing increasing as more and more people are going to the gas pumps," News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said.
The Sheriff's Office is now urging people to be patient as the demand for gas, food and supplies is getting higher.
Smith suggests knowing the best times to get gas to beat the long lines.
"In non-residential areas and not during rush hours may be some of the best times to get gas," Smith said.
Sheriff's officials said we're all in the same boat, and helping each other prepare for a hurricane is better than using violence.
The JSO employee is facing charges for improperly using a firearm. That case has now been turned over to the State Attorney's Office.