Something happened, but what that something is isn't clear.
That's what the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is saying about an officer-involved shooting in the Moncrief area Thursday night.
It happened around 8:45 p.m. on the 1100 block of West 32nd Street near where Golfair Boulevard meets Interstate 95. It's just south of the Brentwood Golf Course.
JSO Undersheriff Pat Ivey says the officer involved - identified at this time only as a 42-year-old black male with nine years of experience - was working overtime in that area as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Initiative when the driver came through at high speed screeching his tires.
"The vehicle passed the officers," Ivey added. "The officers proceeded to catch up to the vehicle."
It was at that point when Ivey says the driver initially refused to pull over when the officer turned on his blue lights, doing so only when the officer then used his air horn.
"Upon stopping, the driver of the stopped vehicle immediately exited the car," Ivey stated. "The primary officer exited his patrol car and gave commands for the driver to get back in the vehicle. The driver did not comply."
What happened next is one of the big questions. Ivey said there may have been additional commands given by the officer to the driver. What he did say is that the officer then fired his gun twice, hitting the driver at least once in the upper body.
"The [driver] has not been positively identified at this point," Ivey noted. "We hope to have that [Friday]."
The officer who shot the driver - believed to be a black male in his 30's or 40's - gave first aid before paramedics took him to UF Health for treatment. He was rolled into surgery and his condition isn't clear at this time.
Ivey says other officers witnessed what happened and that there may be other witnesses who are not police that could shed more light onto what happened.
The officer who shot the driver wasn't hurt and has yet to give his statement, per Ivey. He has been placed on paid administrative leave while the State Attorney's Office reviews the case, which is standard procedure for any officers involved in a shooting. Ivey did say this was the first time this particular officer had been involved in a shooting.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's forensics team will be processing the officer's weapon and two shell casings found at the scene for evidence. JSO says it's also looking into a nearby grassy vacant lot for more evidence.
Ivey did note that the driver didn't appear to be armed and he was alone in the car at the time he was shot.
This is the ninth officer-involved shooting this year in Jacksonville.
JSO is holding a press conference at 2:15 p.m. Friday to give another update on the case.
Sign Up
