JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man killed Sunday afternoon by police in a SWAT standoff was involved in a suicidal shooting incident with friends the day before, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said Monday.
Richard Compo, 36, died at his mobile home on Old Plank Road after firing shots from inside the home at officers and then pointing a gun twice at officers from the porch, police said. Two JSO K-9 officers fired shots at Compo with their department-issued rifles, hitting him once in the chest, JSO Chief Tom Hackney said.
“It's sad and heartbreaking that these officers out here yesterday were put in a position to do this,” Hackney said.
UNCUT: Chief Tom Hackney gives details of Sunday's police-involved shooting
Hackney said police were called to the home near West Beaver Street after Compo battered his wife, and she was able to escape to a nearby church and call 911.
"She was shaking, crying so bad," Pastor Ronald E. Reid said. "He threatened to kill her. She was sobbing so much, I just tried to calm her down. That was all I could do."
Reid recognized the woman as someone who lived in the neighborhood on Old Plank Road. Police went to the home to arrest Compo, but he refused to be taken into custody, forcing a SWAT situation.
Hackney said police, including K-9 officers, surrounded the home and attempted to get Compo (pictured in 2007 booking photo) to surrender, but he refused to cooperate.
A K-9 officer positioned behind the home reported at least seven shots were fired from inside the home in his direction. Hackney said the officer reported the shots were so close he could hear them zip over his head and hit in the trees above him.
Compo then came out onto the front porch of the trailer, armed with a long rifle in his left hand. He had a phone in his right hand, and police later learned that he was speaking with his mother and that he told her he was “going to go out in Waco style,” indicating he would not be surrendering to police.
He raised his rifle in the direction of a K-9 officer, who fired a single shot, missing. Compo yelled it missed, lowered his rifle, and then raised it again at the same officer.
K-9 officers Rob Adams and Charlie Wilkie each fired a single shot, and Compo was hit once in the chest, killing him. It's unclear which officer fired the fatal shot.
Hackney said police later learned that Compo and two friends were camping near the Georgia border in Nassau County Saturday morning and that Compo began threatening suicide. Hackney said Compo's friends attempted to wrestle a gun away from him, and one of the friends was shot in the chest. The friend was taken to UF Health Jacksonville, and is expected to be OK.
“It's relative to the fact that Mr. Compo obviously the day before was suicidal and certainly by his actions on Sunday afternoon -- pointing a gun at police officers, firing a gun from inside of his residence at police officers...” Hackney said. “I can't recommend enough to not point a gun at police officers. This is the kind of thing that will happen to you when you do so.”
Adams, an 18-year veteran with JSO, and Wilkie, a 23-year veteran, were placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.
“We'll have a separate investigation conducted not only by our Sheriff's Office but also by the State Attorney's Office,” Hackney said.
Compo had a history of domestic abuse, and his wife filed for divorce and got a restraining order against him in 2009. The couple had been married since 1999.
Compo had two arrests in Jacksonville on charges of possession of controlled substance paraphernalia and resisting an officer without violence. He had a history of methamphetamine arrests, including two counts of possession.
Neighbors in the area acknowledged Compo had problems but said he was a loving father. Others in the neighborhood said they never saw any signs of trouble.
"They were quiet. Never did see any kind of crazy in and outs,” neighbor Alicia Dent said. “Nothing that would explain anything."
Compo's brother-in-law, James Scapatici, said he doesn't fully believe JSO's account of what happened because he's never known Compo to be violent.
"He was a good man, and he got mixed up in some bad things," Scapatici said. "He had an addiction, and we were seeking help. He would have his stages where he would get better and then maxed out -- then got better. He was doing a lot better, and then it got the best of him recently."
