JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville police officer shot a man to death Wednesday morning after the sheriff said he pulled out a gun and fired at the officer during a traffic stop.
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Bruce Smith said this all happened just down the street from his house, and he heard the gunshots.
“I heard a lot of loud noises, consecutive loud noises, like bang, bang, bang,” said Smith. “I was like well maybe they are just building on the homes behind me, because there are homes being built. I really didn’t think much of it.”
The man, who police said was wearing a bulletproof vest, was pulled over by the officer at around 9 a.m. in the area of Trout River Boulevard and Ribault Avenue.
Police said the man pulled into a driveway and attempted to get out of his vehicle. “And at that point, the suspect leaned out and began firing rounds at the officer,” JSO said during a news conference a couple of hours after the shooting.
The officer, A.C. Gaulding, a 15-year JSO veteran, was shot in the foot. Gaulding returned fire striking the man multiple times, police said. The officer is being treated at the hospital. The man was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police did not have details on why the man was pulled over. “This guy had a bulletproof vest. He had bad intentions,” Sheriff T.K. Waters said at the news conference. “This guy had a drum magazine inside that rifle. He had bad intensions. He had another pistol on the seat of his car. I don’t know what he was going to do. I don’t know what his plans were,” Waters said adding that he was thankful his officer was able to stop him.
Police have not yet release his name.
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