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The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says the woman fired several shots in the direction of officers as they were attempting to make contact with her.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 53-year-old woman is recovering in a hospital after shooting at Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) officers Tuesday night, prompting them to return fire, the sheriff’s office said.
According to JSO, the incident happened around 11 p.m. and began when the woman’s husband reported that she was attempting to commit suicide by sitting in her running vehicle inside a closed garage with a towel over her head.
The sheriff’s office told First Coast News that the husband tried to open the car door to ventilate the area, but she closed it.
At one point, the woman allegedly raised a gun, prompting her husband to go back inside and call 911, according to JSO.
When officers arrived, police say the woman had left the garage and was sitting on a bench across the street. JSO said as officers made contact with her, she fired “about three or four times” in their direction, but noted that they are still verifying how many times she shot.
According to JSO, six officers returned fire, striking the woman multiple times in the torso and legs. She was then taken to a local hospital, where she remains in “unstable condition.” No officers were injured.
“It looks like one of the vehicles where one of the officers were kind of hunched down behind was hit by one of her rounds,” JSO Chief Alan Parker said. “And they are still looking now. I mean it’s dark, so we’ll be out here most of the night into the morning to see what else was hit.”
Parker explained that this was the agency’s third officer-involved shooting of the year, and first officer-involved shooting for all of the following six officers:
- Brendon Johns
- Anthony Mariotti
- Zachary Poole
- Jordan Gay
- Daniel Veres
- Maurice Brown
The incident happened in the 12000 block of Moose Road, Parker said.
Parker further told First Coast News the woman has been suffering from “some neurological issues,” adding that “it started getting worse” about a year ago following a car crash, and “most recently, it’s gotten a little progressively worse.”
According to Parker, the woman will be facing multiple charges.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will investigate the shooting, as is standard protocol.
If you or a loved one ever needs help, you can always call or text the Suicide Prevention & Crisis Lifeline at 988. Help is available there 24/7.
