JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two days after the family of a man killed at a gas station in Orange Park spoke with News4JAX, another man says he was involved in the altercation and tried to help.
The family of Roderick Wilson, 35, told News4JAX that Orange Park police are investigating the shooting as a case of self defense.
The man who said he was involved spoke with News4JAX on a condition of anonymity, as he said he is part of the ongoing investigation into Wilson’s death.
In a statement he gave us, he said what happened at the gas station “had to be done,” though he’s filled with sorrow for Wilson and his family.
He told News4JAX “the fight started over a needle,” and that he “tried to defuse the situation.”
When asked what Wilson was like, he said “his eyes were black” and that “I’ve never seen anything like that.”
He described four people trying to stop Wilson and said, “He was just that powerful. I’ve never had to fight for my life like that,” and, “When he hit me, there was no remorse.”
He said he remembers Wilson saying, “He was going to kill everybody,” and that at one point, Wilson tried to take the gun. The gun went off, and the bullet entered one side of the gas pump and out through the other side.
Because of the investigation, the man said he couldn’t share who had the gun or who shot Wilson, but that Wilson “started fighting everybody.”
He said, “The man who shot him is hurt both mentally and physically.”
When he saw Wilson’s father talking about the kind of person Wilson was in a previous interview, he said, “It took a lot out of me. I’m praying for the family. I wish I could reach out to them. I’m a father as well, and I feel sorry for his kids.”
We sent another request to the Orange Park Police Department to get the police report. We still hadn’t heard back by publication of this article. A request from for comment from the family following this interview was not immediately returned.