JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A police officer shot a man in the leg after a high-speed chase down San Jose Boulevard on Sunday night, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office said the chase started about 11:10 p.m. at the intersection of University Boulevard and Powers Avenue. The Sheriff’s Office originally said police tried to pull a car for running a red light at the intersection, but an arrest report shows an officer noted a car had stopped at a red light in the crosswalk, and when the light changed to green, the car -- which had seven occupants, including a child and four teenagers -- rapidly accelerated.
When the car hit 80 mph, according to the arrest report, the officer turned on his blue lights, and the pursuit through the San Jose area down to Mandarin hit speeds of 100-110 mph.
Police said they deployed stop sticks to force the car to come to a halt on San Jose Boulevard south of Interstate 295. According to the arrest report, the car was still going 100 mph when it hit the stop sticks. Police said when the tires detached from the rims, the car stopped and the driver ran out of the vehicle at Ricky Drive -- just south of Mandarin Road. According to the Sheriff’s Office, an officer chased the man around a convenience store at Addie Lane and fired one shot, hitting the man in the leg.
The driver was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
At this time, it’s not clear what led the officer to fire at the suspect. The arrest report does not even say Paige was shot, only that he was apprehended after a foot pursuit.
There were six other people --ages 24, 16, 15, 15, 14 and 12 -- inside the vehicle, according to the arrest report. Police said they were interviewed and released to their parents.
On Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office identified the driver as Darrell Paige, 21, who was arrested on charges of fleeing law enforcement, reckless driving and driving on an invalid license.
According to records, Paige was placed on probation after pleading guilty last month to carrying a concealed weapon.
Paige is being held on $60,000 bond. If he posts it, he will be placed in the custody of the Department of Corrections, per his probation violation.
Parts of the incident were caught on camera and send to News4Jax. The heavy police presence can be seen along San Jose Boulevard, and after the car finally stops, someone can be seen running away while another person, who JSO said was an officer, follows. A second video obtained by News4Jax shows a clear picture of another law enforcement officer running toward the surveillance camera.
The shooting is being investigated by both JSO and the State Attorney’s Office.
According to News4Jax records, this was the 13th officer-involved shooting Jacksonville this year. Seven of those shot died in the incident.
