JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two officer-involved shootings since Friday have brought the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) to a sobering milestone: its eighth officer-involved shooting of 2025—matching the total number for all of last year.
The latest incident occurred early Sunday morning at the Normandy Estates Mobile Home Park. Home surveillance video, obtained by News4JAX, shows a chaotic encounter between police and 37-year-old Michael Lee Wright. According to JSO, Wright was involved in a violent altercation with his girlfriend and became aggressive toward responding officers. As Wright charged at them, officers reportedly used their SUV to try to stop him before opening fire.
Wright was killed in the confrontation. The graphic footage has left neighbors shaken. “That’s crazy… Did the guy pass away? " one resident told News4JAX. After being told yes, the neighbor said, “Man, it’s crazy I didn’t hear about it.”
This was Officer Burke’s first shooting in his five-year tenure with JSO.
Only two days prior, another man was shot and killed by JSO officers after allegedly attacking two people with butcher knives.
These back-to-back incidents have intensified scrutiny around the rising number of police shootings in the city.
JSO Responds to Growing Concerns
News4JAX asked JSO for comment on the number of officer-involved shootings so far this year. A spokesman sent this statement:
These instances, over the years, have fluctuated routinely. In looking at our Transparency site, the numbers have been as high as 16 in 2020 and as low as 6 in 2018 – the Transparency Site tracks OISs from mid-2015 to present. These are unfortunate incidents, that are spawned as a result of an individual forcing law enforcement into responding to deadly force circumstances. The decision to escalate force to a degree that officers must defend themselves or other’s lives has to be made in seconds – and again, are merely reactions to stimulus created by others.
As these cases continue to be active investigations, we are going to respectfully decline to comment on them any further at this time.
JSO Statement
The agency emphasized that officers often have only seconds to make life-or-death decisions when faced with violent or erratic behavior.
JSO declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigations.
Community and Mental Health Advocates Raise Concerns
Michael Sampson II of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee voiced concern over the repeated use of lethal force, especially in situations that may involve mental health crises.
“What’s going to happen is you’re going to have victims of folks who are calling the police about domestic partnership incidents. They’re going to fear calling the cops. Because what’s going to happen is the cops are going to come and shoot somebody and kill this person. Maybe they just want this person taken from the house,” Sampson said.
In the Sunday shooting, Wright reportedly yelled, “Go ahead and kill me,” a statement some see as a sign of possible suicidal behavior.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Justin D’Arienzo noted the mental health implications in many such encounters:
“One in five of the calls police respond to involve mental health issues. They’re potentially facing someone who is not well, and the situation could quickly get out of control.”
Despite efforts in recent years to deploy more mental health advocates to assist with such calls, community members argue that the response on the ground remains unchanged.
The neighbor who provided the surveillance video told News4JAX, “I wish what happened was handled differently. No weapons were seen, I believe, and the officer opened fire in front of our house, where there are now two bullet holes.”
Looking Forward
News4JAX crime and safety analyst Tom Hackney, a law enforcement veteran of 30 years, said it’s good to look at the bigger picture of the overall numbers and trends, but said cases like these need to be looked at on their own to determine what can be learned and what to do moving forward.
“There are two sides to this coin when we talk about this. One, every one of those incidents has to be looked at in its own merit, so you have to judge them and view them and investigate them and address whatever comes from them,” Hackney said.
The State Attorney‘s Office is investigating the shooting. JSO said once that is complete, it will conduct an internal investigation.