JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police said they have two men in custody that after what police initially described as an officer-involved shooting Wednesday morning on Jacksonville’s Southside.
An officer’s gun was fired but no one was hurt, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Chief of Investigation T.K. Waters said officers responded about 5:10 a.m. to a burglary-in-progress call at the Countryside Village mobile home community when a neighbor reported a man with a hammer entering a mobile home through a window.
While officers took one man into custody, a second man took off through the back door.
“One of the officers gave chase ordering, him to stop several times,” Water said. “He refused to stop. She ended up catching up ... her gun drawn, ordering him to stop -- ordering him to put his hands up. He did not.”
Instead, he turned and tried to wrestle away her gun. Seconds after she called out, “He’s got my gun,” a single gunshot was heard.
Waters said it was not clear who fired the shot but no one was hit by the bullet.
The man, described as a Hispanic man wearing a maroon T-shirt and dark jeans, took off into nearby woods and with officers and K9 in pursuit. Police caught up with him about 8:15 a.m. not far away.
Both suspects were hospitalized, one with serious injuries. Police would not describe how the man was hurt, but reiterated that no one was shot.
Windy Hill Elementary was on lockdown while there was an active search in the area, but that was lifted about 8:15 a.m.
This was the ninth officer-involved gunfire this year. Three times someone was killed, twice a suspect was injured and there were four shots fired by officers with no one hit.