Man accused in credit union hostage case still not competent for trial

Police say Nicholas Humphrey held 13 hostages in Jacksonville credit union

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office booking photo of Nicholas Humphrey

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man charged with holding hostages at gunpoint inside a Westside credit union in 2016 has once again been found not competent for prosecution.

Nicholas Humphrey, who is facing 13 counts of kidnapping and armed robbery in the December 2016 incident at the Community First Credit Union on Edgewood Avenue in Northwest Jacksonville, was not in court for Tuesday's hearing. 

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His next competency review will be in August. 

At a competency review hearing last year, a judge ruled that Humphrey was not competent for prosecution, and both sides agreed.

According to a document filed in July, Humphrey is being held at the state hospital in Baker County. The document said the court received a report from the Florida Department of Children and Families saying Humphrey still met the criteria for involuntary hospitalization. 

Police said surveillance video showed Humphrey walking in the credit union branch just after it opened on Dec. 1, 2016, with a gun, a dog on a leash and a pail of dog food. Police said he fired one shot into the ceiling.

The hostages -- seven of whom were employees at the credit union -- were freed when a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office SWAT team made entry. There were no injuries.

One of the hostages, Frank Brown, spoke with News4Jax on the day of the incident.

"He was going to kill everybody. He had them all in the room sitting like ducks," Brown said.

During the course of the terrifying ordeal, Brown, who said he was hiding with an employee, saw an opportunity to make a break for it, but stumbled. 

"He had them all in a room. I said, 'Let's go'. I jumped up to go, (but) my leg was asleep. I took out about three rows of chairs -- boom boom boom. But that was good, because that startled him to get everybody else a chance to run out the door,” Brown explained.

A short time later, police were able to rescue the hostages. 


About the Author:

Ashley Harding joined the Channel 4 news team in March 2013. She reports for and anchors The Morning Show.