JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 34-year-old man who police said was speeding and driving the wrong way in Arlington on Saturday night was shot when an officer reported seeing him with a gun as he ran from his vehicle, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
JSO said no officers were hurt in the incident and a suspect was taken to a local hospital.
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The shooting happened in the area of Playa Way and Caliente Drive, just off University Boulevard North, according to JSO. It happened hours after another police-involved shooting in Northwest Jacksonville.
In a briefing, Chief of Investigations T.K. Waters said officers attempted to pull over the vehicle for going the wrong way at a high rate of speed, but the driver didn’t stop until he crashed.
Waters said the pursuit continued on foot and when officers yelled that the suspect had a gun, Officer J.R. Matthews fired, striking the suspect, later identified as Kyon Wilkes. He was hospitalized in stable condition. Police said a gun was recovered from the scene.
Wilkes, who is listed as a transient from New York, has two recent arrests and charges of drug distribution in Jacksonville, one last year and one in February. Both times the felony charges were dropped and misdemeanor charges were filed. The drug charges this year were reduced to a misdemeanor March 17 and he was out on bond, awaiting trial.
Matthews is now on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated by both JSO and the State Attorney’s office. It was his first officer-involved shooting.
Earlier Saturday, a woman accused of stabbing a JSO officer was shot and killed.