JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said on Wednesday the details of an incident involving an off-duty lieutenant who fired shots at a semi-truck on Interstate 95 earlier this week were still unclear because the officer has not made a statement.
Police also said on Wednesday that the driver of the semi-truck was legally in possession of a firearm at the time of the incident.
RELATED | Questions remain in incident involving off-duty JSO lieutenant who shot into semi-truck on I-95
According to JSO, around 4 p.m. on Monday, off-duty JSO Lieutenant Marc Crawford “came into contact” with a semi-truck driver, who is in his 70s, while driving on I-95 near Atlantic Boulevard.
After the vehicles “came into contact,” Crawford, who was in plain clothes and in an unmarked vehicle, fired four rounds into the engine bay of the semi-truck, JSO said.
The agency said the driver was not hurt, but the lieutenant was taken to the hospital with an injury to his shoulder.
Waters said his department still doesn’t know the context of why or how the vehicles came into contact with one another. It’s also unclear what led to the lieutenant firing his weapon.
“We’re still looking into the details of what happened, and we’re still waiting to hear from the officer, who has the opportunity to decide whether or not he wants to make a statement,” Waters said.
Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney said people, including law enforcement, have the right against self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment. So Crawford doesn’t have to immediately give a statement about what happened.
“From a law enforcement standpoint, as an investigator, I can’t force somebody to tell me what happened in an incident, including a police officer, even in the discharge of a weapon, even in the death of a suspect,” Hackney said.
But, under protections known as “Garrity Rights” that he has as a public employee — if the officer is compelled to make a statement during a workplace investigation — the statement can’t be used against him for a criminal case.
This incident marked Crawford’s fourth officer-involved shooting in his 21-year career and the second one with JSO, police said.
“He’s aware of the path that this investigation takes, and knowledge is power, he’s aware of how these things go, and he had dealt with either his own attorney or his union representative or attorney,” Hackney said.
Crawford was honored in 2021 as Supervisor of the Year by former Sheriff Mike Williams.
Hackney also cautioned against making assumptions about the officer’s actions before the investigation is complete. He said Crawford is entitled to due process which may take weeks or even months.
JSO continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.