Christopher Bouie, 29, is facing several charges, including attempted first-degree murder, after a Sept. 18 child custody exchange in Oakleaf Plantation escalated into gunfire.
OAKLEAF PLANTATION, Fla. — A week after prosecutors dropped several charges against a man accused of shooting at his girlfriend’s children’s father, authorities have charged that father in connection with the shooting.
Bouie faces charges of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of child abuse and possession of a firearm in connection with the incident.
Darrius Kirkland, 32, was initially arrested and charged with attempted murder, felony child abuse and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon after the Sept. 18 shooting during a child custody exchange in Oakleaf Plantation.
Clay County court records show state prosecutors filed only one charge against Kirkland during an Oct. 8 court proceeding. The attempted murder and child abuse charges were dropped, while the possession-of-a-weapon charge remains. That offense is a second-degree felony.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said investigators charged Bouie after conducting a detailed review of the case and uncovering additional evidence.
It remains unclear why Kirkland’s other charges were dropped. First Coast News has contacted the State Attorney’s Office for comment and will update this story if officials respond.
According to court records, Bouie was arrested Oct. 23 on an out-of-county warrant at a Jacksonville home. He remains held in the Clay County Jail on a $300,000 bond.
Records also show that Bouie received no-contact orders involving four people, including one whose initials match Kirkland’s.
What happened?
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said it began receiving multiple 911 calls during the afternoon of Sept. 18 about gunfire on Bayridge Court.
Within minutes, dispatchers received additional reports of a vehicle crashing on Piedmont Manor Drive and a man running through a home’s backyard.
Investigators said the shooting followed a planned custody exchange between two separated parents at a Bayridge Court home. According to the initial investigation, Kirkland brought an AR-style rifle and a semi-automatic handgun to the exchange.
Deputies said Kirkland opened fire on Bouie as Bouie exited his vehicle. Bouie allegedly returned fire with a handgun before fleeing through neighboring yards. A young child remained inside Bouie’s vehicle when the shooting began, and deputies said the car was struck several times by gunfire from Kirkland.
No one was injured in the exchange of gunfire, deputies said. The children’s mother took cover, secured both children and got them safely to the ground. Several nearby homes were also struck by stray bullets, according to deputies.
Bouie later returned to the scene and surrendered to responding deputies.
Deputies said Kirkland drove away in the mother’s vehicle before crashing into a tree on Piedmont Manor Drive. The crash caused the vehicle, the tree and a nearby unoccupied car to catch fire, though responding firefighters extinguished the flames. A police K-9 later located Kirkland. He was taken to a local hospital for crash-related injuries, where investigators interviewed him.
The dismissal of Kirkland’s charges and Bouie’s subsequent arrest have raised new questions about the events described in the initial report.
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