JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Over a four-year span, from 2021 until 2024, Jacksonville had a larger share of its homicides classified as justifiable killings by civilians than any other city or county with a population greater than 500,000, according to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal.
More than 10% of homicides by civilians were considered justifiable in Duval County, according to the WSJ’s analysis, which is just ahead of other big cities like Charlotte, Indianapolis, Memphis and Detroit.
All of those cities are located in states with stand-your-ground laws, the news outlet noted. In Florida, that means a person can use or threaten to use deadly force if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, and they have no duty to retreat.
Gary Kleck, a professor emeritus of criminology at Florida State University, told the WSJ that the law “appears to give incentive for police and prosecutors to classify tough cases as justifiable homicides,” adding that justifiable homicides help reduce crime rates because they aren’t included in violent crime statistics.
“They just use it as a mechanism for getting rid of difficult-to-prosecute cases, cases that weren’t a lead-pipe cinch to get a conviction,” Kleck told the WSJ. “It became sort of a garbage dump for difficult-to-handle homicide cases.”
But JSO has pushed back against that part of the story, as well as the Jacksonville homicide case highlighted by the reporters in the story.
“In the Wall Street Journal’s recent article, several critical facts were omitted significantly altering the narrative presented,” JSO wrote in a statement to News4JAX. “Unfortunately, it appears the reporters had their conclusion decided before they took time to fully understand the cases. In the primary case on which the article focused, the investigation found that the young man killed was actively committing an armed robbery at the time of the incident. He was wearing a mask, armed with a handgun and shot at the drug dealer first while attempting to rob him. The man returned fire in response.
“Simply put, the Wall Street Journal’s attempt to portray Jacksonville as a city quick to justify homicides to lower crime numbers is wrong.”
In a statement to News4JAX, the State Attorney’s Office was also critical of WSJ’s reporting.
“Every case is dictated by the facts, the evidence, and the law. When the evidence meets the legal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, our prosecutors file charges. Any insinuation from any party opining that filing decisions are made — or, in this case, not made — in an effort to influence crime data is unaware, uneducated, or uninformed about how our office operates," a SAO spokesman wrote. “This office has never shied away from prosecuting difficult cases, including those where defendants present self-defense claims.”
According to data on JSO’s website, there were a total of 58 justifiable homicides from 2022 to 2024. So far this year, there have been 10. Justifiable homicides account for more than 12% of all homicides since 2022, according to JSO data.
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There is a downward trend in justifiable homicides, with 25 in 2022, 22 in 2023, and 11 in 2024, which matches an overall trend down in homicides.
Read the full statements from JSO and the State Attorney’s Office below:
JSO Statement: “In the Wall Street Journal’s recent article, several critical facts were omitted significantly altering the narrative presented. Unfortunately, it appears the reporters had their conclusion decided before they took time to fully understand the cases. In the primary case on which the article focused, the investigation found that the young man killed was actively committing an armed robbery at the time of the incident. He was wearing a mask, armed with a handgun and shot at the drug dealer first while attempting to rob him. The man returned fire in response.
While surveillance shows there were witnesses, no one has come forward or cooperated. Investigators’ hearts go out to the family of the young man who died, but detectives are obligated to follow the facts and law wherever they lead. These details were thoroughly documented in the investigative files and made available to the reporters. JSO spent numerous hours and resources gathering details to answer the questions presented, only to have them omitted in the final story. Framing matters. Leaving out these key facts created a misleading impression and removed the legal context that explains why an arrest has not been made on the homicide. Decisions to rule a case “self-defense” or “legal homicide” are not made lightly nor without complete evidentiary review. This case the WSJ focused on is still an open case with the State Attorney’s Office.
JSO investigates every homicide thoroughly. Each case is reviewed based on evidence, Florida law, and the totality of circumstances. This is not done based on emotions. JSO continues to be transparent with homicide investigations, to include listing cases ruled justifiable on the public website, http://JaxSheriff.org. This article relies heavily on commentary from individuals who were not part of the cases in question. These outside opinions are just that: opinions. The truth of the matter is that this story relied on outside data which doesn’t cover all law enforcement agencies without context or disclosure. There is a lack of context to prove the authors’ point, without acknowledging that laws differ from state to state and that police and prosecutors must act within their state’s laws.
JSO continues to work hard daily alongside partners to reduce the number of all homicides.
Simply put, the Wall Street Journal’s attempt to portray Jacksonville as a city quick to justify homicides to lower crime numbers is wrong."
SAO Statement: “Every case is dictated by the facts, the evidence, and the law. When the evidence meets the legal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, our prosecutors file charges. Any insinuation from any party opining that filing decisions are made — or, in this case, not made — in an effort to influence crime data is unaware, uneducated, or uninformed about how our office operates.
This office has never shied away from prosecuting difficult cases, including those where defendants present self-defense claims.
Two examples in recent weeks: the State of Florida v. Cory Hall, and the State of Florida v. Christopher Kreighbaum — the State succeeded in Stand Your Ground hearings on both, however, defense counsel for both men maintained a self-defense claim at trial. In Kreighbaum, the jury found him guilty of murder; in Hall, the jury found him not guilty.
In the 2023 incident the Wall Street Journal focused on, the homicide case remains open at the State level.
Like most large, populated jurisdictions, homicides fluctuate on a year-to-year basis for myriad reasons, most of which fall outside the scope of a prosecutor’s office. Our office has a mission to reduce crime through the prosecution of violent offenders.”