KEN JEFFERSON

In what is expected to be a closely contested race for Jacksonville sheriff, Republican T.K. Waters announced an endorsement Monday from one of his former opponents: Democrat Ken Jefferson.

Five people who hope to become the next sheriff of Jacksonville met together Wednesday night and answered your questions about the biggest issues facing the city.

In two weeks, voters will pick a new Jacksonville sheriff during a special election on August 23. Tuesday the candidates talked to potential voters at a forum with the Northside Business Leaders group at the Jacksonville Zoo.

Four of the five candidates for Jacksonville sheriff continued campaigning with a forum Friday night.

From the Mayport area to Moncrief to the southside, Jacksonville saw five shootings in 10 hours over the weekend that left two dead and five injured.

Democrat Wayne Clark has over 40 years of experience in law enforcement -- both with corrections and patrols -- and served 30 of those years with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Ken Jefferson spent 24 years with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and said if elected he will bring about changes and more transparency.

Candidates to become Jacksonville’s next sheriff faced off in a roundtable event Friday night. The Jacksonville Urban League hosted a 90 minute meeting with prepared questions and audience participation.

A police shooting of a Black man in Ohio is sparking more talk around the country, about how officers use force.

Six candidates had announced they were running for Jacksonville sheriff – but that number was down to five Friday after Mat Nemeth withdrew from the race and tossed his endorsement to JSO Chief of Investigations T.K. Waters.

We’re getting an idea of where candidates for Jacksonville mayor and sheriff stand with their fundraising now that they’ve reported how much money they collected in April.

Melissa Nelson, state attorney for Florida’s Fourth Judicial District, was a guest Thursday on WJCT’s radio talk show First Coast Connect.

The election isn’t until 2023 — but Tuesday night, members of the Jacksonville community got a chance to get to know some of the candidates for sheriff and where they stand on the issues that matter most to them.

The candidates for Jacksonville Sheriff will answer questions Tuesday night in a candidates forum.

Even though we just finished one city election, candidates are already gearing up for another in a year.

The race to be the next Jacksonville sheriff in 2023 is getting more crowded.

One man died and another man was injured in a drive-by shooting Sunday morning on a northwest Jacksonville highway.

A man who was shot while confronting a suspected car burglar makes up a total of nine shootings that were reported over the weekend in Jacksonville.

Not even a day after authorities said a University of North Florida student threatened a mass shooting on social media, another threat was made on the same app. This time, it was at the University of Florida.

A warning from law enforcement: check your bags and make sure you’re not being tracked.

A home invasion robbery Thursday night involved one of the two suspects posing as an Amazon delivery driver, according to Jacksonville Beach police.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is piecing together what led up to a triple shooting that left one person dead and two others hurt in Brentwood on Saturday night.

A man is in the hospital after he fired at officers in Northwest Jacksonville and was wounded when they returned fire, the Sheriff’s Office said.

A Southside Jacksonville mother of three is thankful that she, her family and their pets were not harmed when a bullet came crashing through the roof of their home.

Despite all the difficult news in 2021, there was a positive trend in Jacksonville -- the city’s homicide numbers went significantly down for the first time in years.

As the River City prepares to ring in 2022 with fireworks, others may think about shooting off something else. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has been warning people against shooting guns during New Year's Eve celebrations for years.

Detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office are investigating after the body of a man was found Monday evening inside a home in the St. Nicholas neighborhood.

Investigators with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have revealed that a Glock handgun that had been converted into a fully-automatic weapon was among several items recovered by deputies during a traffic stop in Flagler County.

For the past couple weeks, News4JAX has been chronicling complaints of street racing and car groups tearing up local parking lots throughout Jacksonville.

A 6-year-old girl was hospitalized for treatment Monday night after she was found shot in a home, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

A man is facing a sexual battery charge more than 16 years after a woman reported it to police, according to a report from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

News4JAX viewers from around the city have been complaining that street racing is a problem city-wide — from Mayport to San Jose.

You may not realize it but there are things that you do over the holidays that may be attracting thieves.

Peel outs and drag racing right in front of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office headquarters downtown -- it’s an ongoing issue that some residents say has become a nuisance late at night.

A man who tried to rob a Jacksonville bank on Tuesday was denied after the teller refused to give him money, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.

One of the biggest holidays of the year is approaching, and shoppers are looking for gifts online and in-person.

A 911 dispatcher is charged with fleeing the scene of an accident with bodily injury, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.

Watch what you say on the phone and to your cellmates.

A grim milestone: Jacksonville has surpassed 100 murders for yet another year.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office has released an image of a man it said was taking photos up a woman’s dress inside a Target store in Fleming Island. Now deputies are searching for him.

The Clay County School District confirmed to News4Jax on Tuesday that the teen who was stabbed to death during a brawl over the weekend was not a student in the school district.

A three-month investigation disrupted a Georgia-to-New York gun trafficking pipeline and resulted in the seizure of 25 guns, including five assault weapons, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, which said the guns and a quantity of cocaine were sold to an undercover officer.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is searching for the driver responsible for a road rage shooting that resulted in a hit-and-run crash on the Hart Expressway early Monday morning.

Two women are dead after a head-on crash early Monday morning with an out-of-service Jacksonville Transportation Authority bus, authorities said.

The body of a man found inside a Jacksonville strip club Sunday night will undergo an autopsy Monday to determine how he died, police said.

A St. Johns County man is facing felony charges of obscene material possession after it was discovered that a laptop brought into a computer repair shop contained images of child porn, according to an arrest report from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

Police are working to make an arrest after a man was shot Wednesday evening following a shooting on Merrill Road that’s believed to have stemmed from road rage, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

A 40-year-old Putnam County man was arrested in Flagler County this week on a capital sexual battery warrant.

Viewers are again complaining about the ongoing issue but now they’re saying it’s become a safety hazard -- causing near-crashes regularly.

A gun was found during a search for any additional evidence in the investigation into the killing of Nassau County Deputy Joshua Moyers, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said Thursday.

“Anytime you get involved in a traffic stop, the officer is walking into unknown danger."

A jury on Wednesday found a former St. Johns County deputy not guilty of aggravated battery in connection to the beating of a man during a 2019 traffic stop.

Two Clay County school buses were shot at Tuesday morning with a BB gun, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives are investigating a deadly shooting inside a room at the Red Roof Inn on Youngerman Circle late Saturday night.

A man is dead after his motorcycle collided with a truck at Arlington Road and Atlantic Boulevard, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

According to News4Jax records, 306 people have been shot in Jacksonville so far this year.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is stepping up enforcement of basic traffic laws due to a rise in deadly crashes in 2021.

A gun stolen from a car in Riverside last month was entered into evidence in the murder of an active-duty U.S. Coast Guard member in the same neighborhood, according to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office report.

A Jacksonville firefighter has been arrested and charged with soliciting a child via computer.

With students heading back to class, you can expect to see more traffic on the road during your commute.

Camp H.O.M.E. is a place where kids can strive to be whatever they want and polish their leadership skills.

A deadly crash in Northwest Jacksonville over the weekend is renewing concerns about traffic near the intersection of New Kings Road and Soutel Drive.

A 31-year-old mother was arrested Thursday after St. Johns County firefighters were called to help two young children left in a car parked in a shopping center lot about 3 p.m.

A woman was killed in a stabbing Friday morning at an apartment complex on University Boulevard near the Jacksonville University campus.

Florida condo collapse is reminiscent of a catastrophe that occurred in Jacksonville on Dec. 6, 2007, when the Berkman Plaza II garage collapsed. That garage was under construction and killed one person when it fell. Twenty-three others were injured.

There have been two reports of a man impersonating a law enforcement officer and pulling over people, according to the Glynn County Police Department.

Investigators tell News4Jax that a Fernandina Beach man arrested earlier in the month on a charge of sexual battery with a minor was also a volunteer at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

According to a new report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, while the overall crime rate was down in Florida last year, violent crimes actually increased by more than 2%.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has released body camera video of the moment a police officer shot and killed a 17-year-old last Fourth of July on the Westside.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday confirmed that, as a precautionary measure ahead of the Orange Crush Festival, the department has requested help from surrounding counties for the temporary housing of inmates.

A video circulating on social media shows the moments when an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was attacked when responding to a call in the Brooklyn neighborhood.

Starting Friday and going through the weekend, members of the gun control activist group Moms Demand Action will honor those impacted by gun violence.

Ken Jefferson, a 24-year veteran with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, a motivational speaker and community leader, serves as crime and safety expert with News4Jax and appears daily to offer expert law enforcement perspectives and tips on crime prevention.

After 12- and 14-year-olds opened fire on his deputies Tuesday night, Volusia County’s sheriff is lashing out at Florida’s Juvenile Justice system, saying it is not equipped to handle the crimes that some children are committing these days.

Two Jacksonville men were arrested after a police officer saw them street racing and hit speeds of 116 mph trying to keep up with them on Saturday night, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

As May comes to an end, it marks the most violent month that Jacksonville has seen since the start of the new year.

The suspect arrested Wednesday after federal agents said they found 46 pounds of hydroponic marijuana at the Jacksonville Amtrak Station has been identified.

A former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office assistant chief was arrested Thursday on a charge of animal cruelty.

The GBI has charged 35-year-old Willie James Rogers of Jacksonville with malice murder in connection to the shooting death of 20-year old Zacheriah Wright.

A 48-year-old Palatka man has been charged with sex crimes against a 9-year-old girl.

Two people were seriously injured in a head-on crash Tuesday on Heckscher Drive on the city's Northside, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department said.

Days after a Georgia woman was shot and killed while deputies served a search warrant, authorities have released body camera footage of the incident.

Police are investigating the possible kidnapping of a man from a hotel in Baldwin on Friday morning and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office believes the man may be endangered.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office issued a news release Friday warning about what it called a disturbing social media report seen on the TikTok application.

After neighbors in Murray Hill expressed concerns about a man who they say has repeatedly exposed himself, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has told its officers to be on the lookout for the car that neighbors have seen.

A 19-year-old Jacksonville man is being held on $1.1 million bail after he was arrested over the weekend in connection with a sexual battery case, authorities said.

Bodycam video of a Lake City councilman during a traffic stop back in January was put out for the public to see during a council meeting Monday.

A former suburban Minneapolis police officer was charged Wednesday with second-degree manslaughter in the killing of 20-year-old Black motorist Daunte Wright.

A new program launched Friday in Florida will provide funding for Urban Leagues in Duval and several other counties to help young victims affected by crime.

Undercover narcotics officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday arrested a man who they said is suspected of using homeless people to pedal narcotics.

Multiple people are facing narcotics charges following a recent drug sting by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office dubbed “Operation Early Checkout.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Deputies in North Carolina seized what looked like a Nerf toy gun but turned out to be an actual firearm. “That’s unbelievable.”The Catawba County Sheriff's Office says a converted Glock model 19 pistol with a 50-round drum magazine had been altered to resemble a toy gun. (Catawba County Sheriff's Office)Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach said something like that is a game changer for anyone in law enforcement. I saw the Nerf logo and immediately thought this was a Nerf gun. If it’s a child with a Nerf gun, you might have a slight pause.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 28-year-old woman was struck and killed early Monday morning after she hit a guardrail along the entrance ramp to southbound Interstate 295 from Town Center Parkway and then got out of her car, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The report said the woman “exited the vehicle and began to stand on passenger side” when an SUV traveling up the ramp to southbound I-295 struck the woman and the sedan. The driver of the SUV, a 58-year-old Jacksonville Beach man, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, troopers said. Due to the deadly crash, all southbound lanes of I-295 at Town Center Parkway for more than four hours, causing heavy delays for morning commuters. But they say also this is 3 in the morning and that needs to be taken into account.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Electric scooters have been the craze in downtown Jacksonville since they were first introduced two weeks ago as a one-year pilot program. News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said what can be seen in the video is a legitimate traffic safety concern. Recently managers of the Carling Apartment building filed complaints with the city over traffic hazards and safety concerns involving the use of scooters in front of the building. City Council member LeAnna Cumber was instrumental in bringing the electric scooters to the River City as a way to bring new life into downtown. AdCumber said both drivers and scooter riders are responsible for paying attention while on the road.

Police officers are investigating a series of car burglaries reported in Downtown Jacksonville. Specifically, they’ve happened near the Hyatt hotel and near popular bars on Bay Street and surrounding side streets. Jacksonville police are warning people that their vehicle could still be targeted, even if valuables are not in plain view. “It doesn’t bring as much attention to the car with that noise because the noise is so minimal,” Jefferson said. And this is why these crimes, which aren’t far from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office headquarters often go undetected.

A white gunman accused of killing eight people, most of them of women of Asian descent, at three Atlanta-area massage parlors was planning to go to Florida, authorities said Wednesday. Long told police that Tuesday’s attack was not racially motivated and claimed to have a “sex addiction,” with authorities saying he apparently lashed out at what he saw as sources of temptation. News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson, a former sex crimes investigator, said he’s never seen anything like this case. AdOne law enforcement agency along Interstate 75 told News4Jax it had no intel that the suspect was planning to go to Florida. He does claim that he has an issue, what he says is a sex addiction,” said Columbia County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office Capt.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police are seeking information about gunfire that erupted Sunday during a youth football jamboree at a Mandarin park, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday. The request for information came just hours before parents of youth football players met with the Mandarin Athletic Association to weigh whether the spring football season will be canceled. Shortly after 4:30 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to shots fired at Greenland Park, where there were about 500 players and fans gathered for youth football games. Parents like Brown would also be refunded the money they paid in advance for their child to participate in spring football. Earlier Tuesday, News4Jax learned that parents were also told Elite South Youth Football League wanted parks to be responsible for security.

The Clay County District Schools Police Department posted a warning to parents Tuesday night about social media posts that could threaten schools in the county and neighboring areas. “The author of a newer social media post apparently formed conclusions of what they heard. We will continue to monitor safety and security measures at all Clay County Schools,” the department’s updated Facebook post read. UPDATE from social media post from March 9, 2021 Clay County District School Parents: After yesterday’s notice to... Posted by Clay County District Schools Police Department on Wednesday, March 10, 2021Visible police presence could be seen at schools around the county Wednesday. “Social media is a platform that everybody uses in one way or another.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A bill pending before the Florida legislature would allow cameras in school zones to watch for speeding vehicles and issue tickets to speeders. House Bill 357 and Senate Bill 1474 would install cameras at school zones in Florida to catch speeders who go above the posted speed limit. Photo enforcement of speeders in school zones is already being used in several Georgia cities. We don’t need to wait for someone to get hurt or killed in a school zone,” Jefferson said. “Where the school zone starts and where the school zone ends, so there won’t be any mishaps of tracking.