YULEE, Fla. – A Nassau County deputy who was barricaded in a home in the Wildlight community for six hours overnight pointed his pistol at a fellow deputy, fired multiple shots over the top of his marked patrol vehicle and aimed two shots at the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office drone during the standoff.
No one was injured during the standoff, which ended peacefully around 5 a.m. Friday when the deputy was taken into custody, jail records show.
Earice “Ray” Rhoden Jr., 49, was booked at 8:30 a.m. on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and use of a firearm while under the influence. He’s being held without bond.
Court records show that he is a Nassau County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
“First and foremost, I would like to say we here at the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office are a family and to hear that one of our deputies was involved in a situation like this is deeply saddening,” Sheriff Bill Leeper said.
Leeper said that just after 10 p.m. Thursday, an NCSO deputy responded to the Wildlight Community after reports of a domestic dispute that involved another NCSO deputy who was off duty at the time.
Rhoden tried to leave the home with a rifle and a pistol after he had been drinking and had gotten into an altercation with a family member, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
According to Rhoden’s arrest warrant, a lieutenant saw Rhoden fire twice in an unknown direction, and then called for backup.
The NCSO Special Response Team and members of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office SWAT team responded to the home on Blue Daze Street, across from Wildlight Elementary.
A deputy at the scene said Rhoden fired five shots from his weapon over the top of this marked patrol vehicle and fired two more shots at the NCSO drone that was flying over the home. The deputy said he spoke briefly with Rhoden, who pointed a pistol at him and retreated into the garage of the home.
“Shortly after, Rhoden was taken into custody and there were no injuries reported. I am thankful this incident was resolved peacefully and no one was hurt,” Leeper said. “Deputies are human and struggle with issues just like many others in our society. There are several programs that the sheriff’s office offers for our employees in order to get the help that they need and we encourage anyone to reach out if they need it.”
Rhoden has been suspended without pay, Leeper said.
A Yulee resident who asked not to be named said the situation overnight was very serious.
“Last night, as I was getting ready for bed, I heard what sounded like gunshots or fireworks. I went outside, and there were some drones. I saw some neighbors from the next block over running down the road and got yelled at to go inside,” they said. “I was on the back porch and I heard SWAT breaking down fences from the next block over to be able to evacuate people from that block over to this block.”
Class was temporarily canceled for Wildlight Elementary School students early Friday morning during the standoff, but once the situation was resolved, school officials reversed course and said school would be in session Friday.