JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office identified the man who was shot and killed by a police officer in the Oceanway neighborhood on Monday night.
JSO said Alan Rush, 46, pulled out a gun during an altercation with Officer Zackery Jennings, which led Jennings to shoot Rush in the head.
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According to JSO, it all started when police went out in search of a burglary suspect at a home on Ponce Boulevard.
According to JSO Chief Parker, around 6:30 p.m., task force officers were looking for William Lowe, who had a warrant out for a stolen car and was suspected of burglaries.
After about an hour, Parker said, officers noticed Lowe peeking outside as a car was pulling up to the home near New Berlin Road. Lowe exited the home and got into the vehicle, prompting the officers to approach them.
One officer took Lowe into custody as Officer Jennings approached the driver, later identified as Rush.
Police said as Jennings tried to remove Rush from the vehicle, Rush resisted orders and began aggressively fighting Jennings.
JSO said that during the fight, Rush pulled out a gun, causing Jennings to shoot him in the head.
Rush died on the scene.
According to JSO, Rush was a convicted felon.
Apart from recovering the gun, JSO said investigators found narcotics in Rush’s car, including cocaine, methamphetamine, weed, pills and an “unknown powder.”
Neighbors told News4JAX Rush lived with his wife and three children.
Jennings has worked with the sheriff’s office for eight years, and this was his first officer-involved shooting.
This incident also marked the 17th officer-involved shooting of the year.
The State Attorney’s Office is investigating the shooting. Once that is complete, JSO will complete its own administrative investigation.