JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, who was injured in a shootout last week in Northwest Jacksonville, was released from the hospital Thursday and is continuing to recover, JSO said in a Facebook post.
Officer AC Gaulding was shot on March 12 after he attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a man near Trout River Boulevard and Ribault Avenue. For unknown reasons, the man pulled into a driveway and began shooting at the officer.
Gaulding returned fire and killed the shooter.
JSO said the suspect was wearing a “bulletproof vest” and had two firearms in his car at the time of the shooting, including a rifle. However, it is unclear which firearm was used in this shooting.
Gaulding, who has worked with JSO for 15 years, was shot in the foot and transported to UF Health, where he underwent surgery.
“We’d like to thank our wonderful community for the support for our officer during this difficult time, especially the medical professionals at UF Health and our brothers and sisters at Jacksonville Fire and Rescue,” JSO wrote.
This incident marked Gaulding’s first officer-involved shooting, according to JSO.
The case remains under investigation.