Armed man shot by Jacksonville police officer has long record, JSO says

No officers were hurt; 30-year-old suspect in stable condition

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A gun-wielding man who took off on foot during a traffic stop was shot and critically wounded by a police officer Friday afternoon, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

Investigators said around 4 p.m., a field training officer and a recruit were working near the intersection of St. Clair and Detroit streets when a car ran a stop sign. Officers attempted to pull the driver over, and the driver stopped briefly on Melson Avenue near the Paxon School for Advanced Studies to let a passenger out.

The passenger, identified as Tyrone Maurice Buckman, 30, took off on foot carrying a pistol, an investigator said. The officers left their cruiser to chase after the man while the driver of the car they were following drove off, abandoning the vehicle nearby.

According to the Sheriff's Office, Officer Joseph A. Ledyard, 26, caught up to Buckman and fired several shots at him. Buckman was struck by the officer's gunfire and taken to the hospital, where he was listed in stable condition on Saturday.

Ledyard has been on the force since August of 2015, and JSO said this was his first suspect shooting.

Investigators said no shots were fired by Buckman, who is now charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Buckman has a long criminal history that includes burglary, sexual battery, drug possession and drug sales.

The responding officers were wearing body cameras, and the footage will be reviewed, an officer said. This marks the first time JSO officers were wearing cameras during an officer-involved shooting.

Two other men who were in the vehicle police were following got away, but the car they were in, a 2008 black Nissan Altima, was recovered and impounded. Detectives said those men remain on the loose, but they are gathering evidence from the impounded car.

Jay Ryder was dropping of a friend at the time of the shooting. He told News4Jax bullets flew over the hood of his truck.

"You think you're dropping somebody off then the next thing you know you're in a war zone," Ryder said. "Just five minutes of pure terror."

Ryder said the suspect walked in front of his truck and saw the man waving a gun.

"About that time shots were fired," he said. "I rolled out of my truck, trying to use my truck for cover. At this time, I realized the police were just adjacent to my vehicle."

The officer who fired at the suspect was placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol and at some time during the process video from the police body cameras could be released to the public.

Anyone with information on the identity and location of the two other men is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500.


About the Authors:

Corley Peel is a Texas native and Texas Tech graduate who covered big stories in Joplin, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jacksonville, Florida before returning to the Lone Star State. When not reporting, Corley enjoys hot yoga, Tech Football, and finding the best tacos in town.