JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A woman shot and killed a man on Sunday after she says he tried to get into her home in the Englewood neighborhood, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
At a news briefing Monday morning, JSO Sgt. Chris Stephens said that a woman called 911 around 11:20 p.m. Sundayand then hung up. The Sheriff’s Office said that when officers responded to the call placed from one of the homes in a mobile home park near Philips Highway and Putnam Avenue, a woman told police that a man tried to get into her home and she shot him.
“It appears the two had some sort of domestic relationship,” Stephens said.
Police said they searched the area and found a man who had been shot nearby. The man died at the scene, according to police.
The woman is being questioned by investigators, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“It’s really sad when we have these domestic issues because there are facts on both sides, and there’s only one person left to tell the story,” said attorney Lauren Prater, who is not affiliated with the case.
While Prater isn’t involved in this case, she told News4JAX that police and prosecutors will look at the evidence to see if it’s a case of self-defense under the Castle Doctrine.
“Under that statute, if she had a reasonable fear of imminent bodily harm or death, then she would be able to use and justify using deadly force,” Prater said.
Prater said the Castle Doctrine could still be claimed if the person who was shot was not armed.
“She could if that person has broken into her home, so there is a presumption that the fear of bodily harm and death is actually reasonable if somebody breaks into someone’s home and has an unlawful entry,” Prater said.
In the meantime, as police continue to investigate the deadly shooting, they will be collecting footage that was recorded from surveillance cameras from a business next door with multiple vantage points overlooking the park. Cameras show someone walking through the complex shortly before the shooting, but it’s unknown if this is related.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500 or First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).