JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has released the name of an armed robbery suspect who shot an officer and was killed with return fire Wednesday morning following a foot chase in Northwest Jacksonville.
Police said Jamari Rashaud Akins, 20, entered the Family Dollar near Soutel Drive and Norfolk Boulevard in the Sherwood Forest area wearing a “COVID-like” mask, showing a handgun and demanding money from the cash register.
A JSO incident report said Akins threatened to shoot the 50-year-old female store manager, and then ran off with about $100 in cash.
A worker at a Dollar General said he saw Akins outside of his store and thought something was off because he was wearing a mask. The worker didn’t want to talk on camera, but said it’s sad Akins left his store and walked across the street to commit what police called armed robbery at the Family Dollar store.
He was spotted by Officer Luis Mercado, who was responding to the robbery call. Mercado then jumped out of his cruiser and ran after Akins, JSO said, while telling him to stop.
When Mercado finally caught up to Akins, he took Akins to the ground, JSO said.
As Akins was being detained, JSO said, he fired two shots and hit Mercado once in the leg.
Mercado, a four-year veteran of JSO, returned fire and hit Akins, who later died. Police said the gun Akins used was recovered at the scene.
Akins has a history of arrests and just got out of jail last May.
Mercado, who provided medical care to himself and put a tourniquet on his leg, was taken to the hospital and was released the same day after being treated, JSO said.
When asked how many shots Mercado fired at the suspect, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said, “he fired enough to get the job done.”
“So we don’t have to worry about that guy anymore. And it may sound cold, it may sound crass, but if a person will shoot at a policeman for doing his job after he just committed armed robbery, he’ll shoot at anyone,” Waters said.
Mercado was greeted by Waters and several cheering officers when he was released from the hospital.
𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘, 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐎!
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) July 9, 2025
Officer Luis Mercado left the hospital after an armed robbery suspect shot him in the leg earlier this morning. Officer Mercado used his training to apply a tourniquet to his own leg moments after he returned fire.… pic.twitter.com/CrLpHfjtWy
“I’m so glad he’s able to go home to his family,” Sheriff Waters said outside the hospital. “That’s the biggest thing for me, and it’s so good to see his fellow officers come out to watch him as he leaves the hospital.”
On Thursday, News4JAX attempted to speak with employees of the Family Dollar store, but no one was able to speak.
News4JAX reached out to a corporate phone number and we are still waiting to hear back.
