JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was killed and a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officer was injured in a shootout Wednesday morning in Northwest Jacksonville, according to JSO.
Police said around 9 a.m. Officer AC Gaulding attempted a traffic stop on a man near Trout River Boulevard and Ribault Avenue when, for unknown reasons, he pulled into a driveway.
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As Gaulding was getting out of his vehicle, the man opened the driver’s door.
“The officer gave a command to stay in the vehicle, and at that point, the man leaned out, began firing rounds at the officer,” JSO Chief Alan Parker said.
According to JSO, Gaulding returned fire and hit the suspect multiple times.
JSO said the suspect was wearing a “bulletproof vest” and had two firearms in his car at the time of the shooting, including a rifle. However, it is unclear which firearm was used in this shooting.
“It appears to me that he was on his way to do something to someone else,” Waters said.
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The suspect died, according to JSO.
Gaulding, who has worked with JSO for 15 years, was shot in the foot and transported to UF Health.
“Fortunately, our officer is safe, and he’s hurt, but he’s in good spirits, and I’m just glad to see that he made it through this safely,” Waters said.
Dozens of JSO officers gave a salute to Gaulding outside of the hospital.
“All I can think is my thoughts and prayers about all the officers. A lot of them don’t get the credit they deserve. They’re putting their lives on the line every single day for us to keep us safe. And so it’s just, it’s something very sensing,” Resident Chris Trufant, who saw the heavy police presence outside UF Health, said.
Sheriff T.K. Waters said he doesn’t know why Gaulding attempted the traffic stop.
“We always get a lot of questions about why we were doing something, or why he stopped him, or whether he was violating policy. The point of this is this morning is to say he was doing what he’s expected to do by the citizens of this community. He shouldn’t be shot at for that, but because he was shot at, he returned fire and was able to eliminate the threat. Now, that person cannot be a threat to anyone else,” Waters said.
This is Gaulding’s first officer-involved shooting, according to JSO.
This is the fourth officer-involved shooting this year, and the second one in less than 24 hours.
On Tuesday night, officers shot a 53-year-old woman overnight who fired a gun at them after they were called to a home near the Oceanway area by the woman’s husband, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
The woman was in critical condition. No officers were hurt in that incident.
