Jacksonville, FL — An instructor was wounded today in an incident at the Criminal Justice Training Center at FSCJ North.
During a morning course on use of force, a corrections officer took a blank gun from an instructor’s waist band, put it against the instructor’s back, and fired the gun.
The wounded instructor, Chip Williams, is expected to be OK. Williams has been with JSO for 25 years, according to Director Tom Hackney.
The corrections officer, Tyler Kovacs, has been with JSO for approximately five months. Kovacs was one of ten students in the class. They are supposed to use a soap-based projectile during the scenario.
“We’ve run this class over six times and in no time did ever this scenario come forward where somebody took the blank gun from the instructor”, as Hackney said he wants to review the class and the use of a blank gun.
“There is no projectile in that but it is gunpowder. It is obviously dangerous. It did penetrate the skin”, said Hackney.
The instructor was transported to a hospital from the training facility.
“Our safety of our officers involved in training is paramount”, Hackney said. But he says you can’t predict human factor.
“Today we missed the mark with the safety thing”, Hackney said.
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