ORANGE PARK, Fla. – A 34-year-old Jacksonville man is facing a second-degree murder charge after what began as an argument led to a deadly shooting inside an Orange Park home, according to a Clay County arrest report.
According to the report, early Saturday evening, Clay County deputies were called to a home on Constitution Drive after a person who called 911 said that he shot his friend after a fight.
When deputies arrived, they detained John Robert Thigpen and then did a security sweep of the home. During the sweep, deputies found Napoleon Brown on the floor between the kitchen and the living room suffering from a gunshot wound.
When Clay County paramedics arrived at the scene, they confirmed Brown was dead.
Thigpen was driven to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office where he was formally questioned about what happened. The arrest report stated that Thigpen had redness, bruising, and swelling around his left eye. Although statements Thigpen made to the detective handling the case were redacted from the arrest report, there is a question on the report about why Thigpen delayed reporting the shooting.
The detective handling the case noted in the arrest report that a semi-automatic handgun was located a few feet from the victim’s body. The detective also noted in the report that bloody drag marks on the floor led to Brown’s body and the discovery of two spent bullet rounds that impacted straight into the floor.
The report said charges were filed against Thigpen because he did not appear to be in imminent danger when he shot and killed Brown and his statements were inconsistent. The report also cited physical evidence at the scene and a time delay in reporting the shooting as reasons for charging Thigpen.
By early Sunday morning, Thigpen was booked into the Clay County jail on a charge of second-degree murder. He went before a judge later that morning and was not granted a bond.
It’s unclear if Thigpen has obtained an attorney.
A neighbor who resides on an adjacent street gave News4JAX cellphone video of the heavy police presence on his block and Constitution Drive. The video clearly shows deputies appearing to speak with someone who was inside one of the patrol SUVs. That SUV was parked in front of a home where the bulk of the investigation appeared to be located.
News4JAX also obtained surveillance video showing the moment Thigpen was taken into custody at gunpoint.
In the video, Clay County deputies have their rifles drawn as a woman comes out of her home with her hands up. Moments later, the video captures Thigpen being taken into custody.
“The community was shocked. We were all shocked. They were a quiet family. They had kids there. A dog. They kept to themselves. And it was a shock that something bad like this happened in our neighborhood,” David Spivey, a neighbor, said.