Photo: News4jax
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officers fatally shot a woman Sunday morning after she pulled a gun from a bag and fired at officers, striking a patrol vehicle, JSO said.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the shooting was the culmination of at least three police calls over two days involving the same woman seen brandishing a firearm across multiple locations in the area.
Prior calls for service
Officers say they first responded Saturday at approximately 9:15 a.m. after a 911 caller reported an woman waving a gun on Monaco Drive. The woman was wearing all purple. Officers searched the area but were unable to locate her.
About an hour later, JSO was dispatched to Briarcliff Road East after a woman pointed a gun at a man and his dog. Officers responded but again were unable to locate the suspect.
Officer-involved shooting
Officers were dispatched again Sunday morning to the area of Mar Vic Lane and Dunn Avenue after reports of a woman pointing a gun at a man. Officers arrived on scene at 10:22 a.m.
When four officers made contact with the suspect, they determined she was the same woman involved in the previous incidents. The woman was yelling and carrying several bags.
According to JSO, Officers asked her to show her hands at least four times, but she did not comply.
At one point, an officer said he believed she had a gun.
JSO says the woman continued walking away from officers for approximately a quarter of a mile, with officers following and continuing to issue commands she would not follow.
Witnesses question response
Witnesses told News4JAX they were shaken by the gunfire and questioned how the situation was handled.
“I didn’t know that it was that serious for real when I heard the shots. I especially thought that it was like fireworks. I walk out and see 50 cop cars,” one witness said.
One witness, whose identity was withheld, said the situation sounded like a mental health crisis.
“It definitely sounded like a mental health crisis. So I feel like this definitely could have been handled differently,” the witness said.
Another anonymous witness said they believed the force used was excessive. The witness said they understood the shooting may have been justified, but questioned how many officers fired. JSO says three officers returned fire.
Another woman, whose identity was also withheld, said, “She was one lady going through something.”
Shooting near Biscayne Blvd.
When the confrontation reached the intersection of Mar Vic Lane and Biscayne Boulevard, JSO says the woman pulled a gun from one of her bags and fired toward officers. The round struck a JSO patrol vehicle on the driver’s side door. Officers had been using the vehicle for cover after determining the woman was armed, according to JSO.
Three officers returned fire, striking the woman multiple times. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
When asked about de-escalation, Sheriff W said officers tried to do that by following the woman down the street, repeatedly asking her to drop the weapon.
The woman was 32 years old. Her name has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
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Source: News4jax
