According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, an officer was fatally shot Tuesday night outside Baptist Medical Center South and is currently in critical condition at the hospital.
The shooter is dead. The incident began when a vehicle was spotted driving suspiciously through the hospital parking lot on Tuesday evening by an off-duty officer, as reported by Sheriff TK Waters during a press briefing.
The officer attempted to stop the car, but the driver fled, according to Waters.
After the incident, additional officers stationed near the hospital were alerted and joined in the search for the vehicle.
One of those officers attempted to stop the car and the driver responded by partially rolling down the window, brandishing what appeared to be a gun and saying the words ‘Kill me’, according to Sheriff TK Waters .
As Sheriff TK Waters said, the suspect fired a bullet at a police cruiser, but the officer inside refrained from returning fire. Subsequently, other officers intervened and attempted to employ a PIT maneuver on the vehicle, without success.
Later, the shooter collided with a police car, slammed head-on into another police car, and eventually hit a pole.
According to Sheriff TK Waters, law enforcement officials repeatedly issued strong verbal orders to the suspect in an attempt to get him out of the vehicle, but he refused to comply.
When an officer approached the car and attempted to open one of the doors, the man fired a shot through the window, hitting the officer in the face and chest. In response, five officers opened fire on the suspect, ultimately killing him.
Sheriff TK Waters mentioned that prior to this event, the shooter had only received one citation for speeding.
He pointed out that this incident highlights the nature of police work and the fact that officers are not disposable. “Police officers are human beings carrying out their duty to ensure public safety,” he said. “While we do not anticipate being shot or killed in service, we are committed to continuing our work to protect the community and protect our fellow officers.”
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has been involved in five shootings with officers this year, and three of those incidents resulted in officers being shot.