JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man in his early 30s was transported to a hospital overnight after two officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office shot him outside a home in the Dinsmore area, officials said.
According to JSO, the man had threatened to kill his mother with a knife and barricaded himself inside a home on Bradd Avenue for four hours. At some point, he came out of the home carrying a hammer and claimed “he had a shotgun.”
JSO Chief Alan Parker said it all started around 10 p.m., when officers responded to the home in reference to a domestic violence call.
Police said the suspect, identified as Corey Sweeney, was having a “pretty loud and argumentative” fight with his mother.
“At some point, it escalated, and he pulled out a knife, held it up to his mom’s face, made some slashing movements. [He] didn’t cut her but threatened to kill her,” Parker said.
That’s when the mother called 911.
“They can hear the threats over the phone,” Parker said.
The woman was able to get out of the house and get away, police said. She was not injured.
Sweeney then locked her out and barricaded himself inside the home.
Officers said they were moving around outside the house, trying to get their eyes on Sweeney.
“He sees them. He goes up and smashes out one of the windows, and it cuts one of the officers who was on the scene,” Parker said.
After that encounter, JSO called the SWAT team. But in the meantime, JSO officers continued to try to get him out of the home.
“They continue to voice him to try to get him to just come out peacefully... He wouldn’t,” Parker said.
Parker said there were a couple of times Sweeney came out of the home wearing a football helmet and carrying and waving a hammer. According to JSO, Sweeney also said he was “going to shoot,” and claimed “he had a shotgun.”
When the SWAT team arrived, Sweeney came out of the home once again.
“He comes out with a different object in his hand, and he kind of goes toward the officers and rears back like he is going to throw it or whatever he’s going to do,” Parker said.
That’s when two officers, Christopher Bush and Keith Miller, shot their firearms and hit Sweeney in the leg, Parker said.
Sweeney was then transported to a local hospital, where he is in stable condition.
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Parker said no firearms were found.
Sweeney now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault during a domestic incident, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and domestic battery.
Police said this was the officers’ first officer-involved shooting.
This incident marked the 16th officer-involved shooting of the year, JSO said.
The State Attorney’s Office will conduct an independent investigation.