JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Friends and fellow servicemembers are remembering Christopher Ford, the 45-year-old man shot and killed by a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office sergeant Tuesday afternoon, as a warm, easygoing person who was always willing to talk.
JSO says Ford approached a sergeant doing paperwork at a substation on West Beaver Street around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Chief of Investigators Michael Paul said a brief conversation preceded Ford pulling out a handgun and firing toward the officer. Ford missed, striking the building. The sergeant then fired back, hitting Ford. Fire rescue transported him to UF Health, where he died.
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Navy veteran recalls Ford as a natural leader
Rashad Menefee, who served with Ford aboard the USS Philippine Sea, said he learned about the shooting after seeing a Facebook post from Ford hours before the incident.
“I thought it was kind of strange, but I was like, oh, I’m sure people, they’re going to check in on him, make sure he’s good,” Menefee said. “And then later on, I went back and looked, and I saw the comments, and I saw someone had said, it’s on the news. So I Googled it, and saw what happened. And I was just like, this is crazy, honestly. Like it’s sad, disheartening, because obviously... It seemed like the post was a cry for help.”
Menefee said he knew Ford primarily on a professional level but described him as someone easy to connect with.
“He was very personable,” Menefee said. “You could talk to him, work stuff, personal life stuff, it didn’t matter. Like he was just always easygoing.”
He added that Ford’s death has hit those who served under him especially hard. “He was a good leader, and all the people under him, they’re definitely taking it hard.”
Fellow sailor: ‘A wonderful husband and father’
Another sailor who served with Ford declined to be interviewed on camera but told News4Jax that Ford was “a wonderful Sailor, husband, and father” who “always had the interest of others in his heart.”
JSO: Ford had been Baker Acted in February
JSO confirmed Ford had been Baker Acted in February 2026. News4Jax asked the agency whether it plans to review or update its policy for de-escalating encounters involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. JSO referred back to the incident briefing and said body camera footage would be available within 21 days.
Resources
Here is a list of mental health resources available in Florida.
- UF Health St. Johns Behavioral Health Resource Center - open 24/7 with clinicians on staff and available to assist during a crisis. No appointment is needed.
- EPIC Behavioral Health Rapid Response Team – 24/7 service for individuals 26+, dial 988, and a response will occur within 60 minutes of the request.
- EPIC Access Support Center – Walk-in services for mental health at their North Campus, Northwest Campus, and Flagler Campus. If this service is needed, walk-in during hours or call (904) 495-7001.
- Mobile Response Team – 24/7 service for individuals 5-25 years old. Dial 988 or 911 and a response will occur within 60 minutes of the request.
- Vinson Foundation - A support group for St. Johns, Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach, and Orange Park, for families who lost someone to suicide.
- St. Augustine Youth Services: 904-829-1770
- Call 211 - Local experts are available 24/7 to help. Calls to 211 are confidential and can be anonymous.
- Hope for Healing Florida - Hope for Healing navigates the many ways Floridians can access help for mental health and substance abuse
These resources can be accessed nationwide.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - Call or text 988 for help. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis resources for you or someone you know.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides resources for issues with mental health, drugs, or alcohol.
- Veterans Crisis Line - Text 838255 or call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1
- Crisis Text Line - Text “Home” to 741741
- Teen Line - Text “Teen” to 839863
If you or anyone you know needs help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.