JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two days before a domestic incident Sunday that ended in a deadly officer-involved shooting on Jacksonville’s Southside, police had been called to intervene in a similar incident involving the same couple.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, 28-year-old Alquan V. Suydam, who was fatally shot in an encounter with three officers Sunday night, was at the center of another domestic call two days earlier.
Suydam’s aunt told News4JAX on Sunday night that she had called JSO for a wellness check two days before and confirmed that her nephew had a history of involuntary mental health holds.
Police said Suydam had fled the scene before they arrived at the welfare check call.
When she called officers again at 7:45 p.m. Sunday, Suydam’s aunt told police that he had punched his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach, had a gun that he was waving around and was “holding his girlfriend against her will.”
Because of the earlier call, officers knew what vehicle to look for and spotted it when they pulled into the Kings Trail Apartments on Toledo Road, just west of Philips Highway.
#JSO is on-scene of an officer involved shooting following a call for service in 3700 block of Toledo Road.
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) March 31, 2025
The officers are uninjured and the suspect has been transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The scene has been stabilized and there is no threat to the… pic.twitter.com/fyRHJmphA4
Police said Suydam was sitting in the vehicle, and when officers got out to make contact with him, he got out and began walking away with his hand in his pocket.
“Officers gave multiple commands for him to stop, ‘Show us your hands, show us your hands,’ and instead of just doing what he was told, he decided to pull his pistol out to point it at the officers,” JSO said.
Three officers at the scene then fired at Suydam, who was hit twice in the leg and once in the hip. He died at the hospital.
One of the officers involved, Jonathan S., has been with JSO for six months. Officer Connor Duhone has been with JSO for four years and officer Cody Melton has been with JSO for three years.
It was the first officer-involved shooting for all three men. None of them were hurt in the encounter.
JSO said it is not aware of any injuries to Suydam’s girlfriend.
An investigation into the incident by the state attorney is underway, JSO said.
Chief Alan Parker’s full news conference can be found below.
