JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An off-duty airport police officer exchanged gunfire with a man he caught burglarizing his sister's car early Thursday on Winton Drive, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
The JSO incident report said 42-year-old Jelani Herrington was not injured in the incident.
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According to police, Herrington arrived at his Northwest Jacksonville home and spotted a man in a black sweater and blue jeans rummaging through his sister's Chrysler 300.
Herrington told police he yelled at the man to get his attention and the man ran from the car, jumping a fence to a backyard next door.
Herrington said after the man cleared the fence, he fired gunshots back at Herrington, who immediately returned fire. The man ran from the area in an unknown direction, police said.
Herrington said after he lost sight of the man he called for backup, and several JSO units arrived.
Jill Hall, whose car was broken into, said these kinds of things are not uncommon. There were three car break-ins and one home break-in over the last three months. "I think it's awful...It's a constant thing. Almost every night he's going into someone's car," Hall said.
JSO is investigating the incident. Deputies say the suspect was wearing a black sweater with blue jeans, but have not released any more information about the suspect.