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Police ID officer, suspect in Moncrief shooting

Man shot during traffic stop in life-threatening condition, police say

Keith Crowder was shot by an officer during a traffic stop in Moncrief, JSO said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police have identified the officer and suspect involved in a shooting Thursday night in the Moncrief area of Northwest Jacksonville.

Undersheriff Pat Ivey said Officer Serge Paul fired two shots at Keith Crowder, 24, striking him twice, during a traffic stop.

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Crowder was in life-threatening condition at UF Health hospital Friday, Ivey said.

Just before 9 p.m. Thursday, Paul and other officers with the JSO Violent Crimes Unit were working overtime when they spotted a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed after it spun its wheels, Ivey said.

Ivey said the officers caught up with the speeding vehicle and Paul activated the lights on his police cruiser to initiate a traffic stop. Crowder's vehicle did not stop, Ivey said.

Paul then activated his air horn and  Crowder's vehicle stopped on West 32nd Street, near Golfair Boulevard, Ivey said. He said that police later learned Crowder has connections to the house where he stopped and is a certified member of a Jacksonville gang, who goes by the name Moncrief Snoop Hitman Jr.

UNCUT: Undersheriff's news conference of officer-involved shooting in Moncrief

Crowder got out of the vehicle and Paul, who was in uniform, then exited his patrol car and ordered Crowder to get back inside the car, Ivey said. 

Ivey said Crowder did not comply, other commands were given, and Crowder still did not comply. 

That's when Paul discharged his firearm twice and Crowder was hit in the upper body, Ivey said.

Paul rendered first aid to Crowder, who was taken to UF Health in life-threatening condition.

Crowder was the only person inside the vehicle, and after obtaining a search warrant, officers found marijuana and a .45-caliber handgun inside the driver's side door on the floorboard.

Ivey said Friday that police learned that Crowder was out on bond on charges of misdemeanor possession of marijuana and possession of a concealed weapon. According to a Clay County police report, Crowder was pulled over for having a front headlight out, and a bag of marijuana and a loaded handgun were found in the car. Crowder was handcuffed, and then slammed himself into the hood of the cruiser, and yelled, “Help, police brutality,” the report said.

Crowder has three previous arrests in Duval County on charges of misdemeanor possession of marijuana and domestic battery, strong-arm robbery and battery, and violation of probation.

Paul is a nine-year veteran of JSO and it was his first officer-involved shooting, according to the Sheriff's Office. Ivey also noted Paul is a black man. He has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure. 

The gun fired by the officer and the two shell casings recovered were sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for review. 

When asked why JSO does not ask FDLE to investigate police shootings, Ivey said JSO has the resources to do their own investigations. 

"I'm very, very comfortable and I know the sheriff is very, very comfortable to investigate these types of instances with the assistance of the State Attorney's Office, FDLE processing," Ivey said. 

If all the agencies in Florida asked FDLE to take over their officer-involved shootings, Ivey said, FDLE would be overwhelmed.

FDLE told News4Jax that staffing is not an issue -- if an agency calls them in, it will investigate a police-involved shooting, but it is based on the local agency's request. 

The State Attorney's Office will be conducting a separate investigation.

"They don't just listen to what we say, 'Hey, guess what? He was here and he was here.' They are right there taking into their own account what they're hearing of where the evidence was," Ivey said. 

Thursday night's officer-involved shooting is the eighth involving JSO this year. Two of the eight were deadly, according to News4Jax records. The last shooting happened May 22 in Springfield.

"We can't help but be startled and a little bit upset that there was another shooting on the Northwest side of Jacksonville, Florida," said Ben Fraizer, spokesman with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.


About the Authors
Scott Johnson headshot

Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.

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