Jacksonville contractor helps police catch man making threats

Exclusive cellphone video showed how a local man helped police track down and capture a potentially dangerous man.

In the video, one can see the officer on the contractor’s ladder, looking for a man they had been searching for.

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Chris Miele is a Jacksonville contractor. He shows his support for police right on the front of his truck. But he said Monday put that support to the test.

“Do you believe the man involved was a threat to the public?” Action News Jax reporter Russell Colburn asked.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Miele said.

Miele said he was working in the Bartram Park neighborhood just off I-95 when he was approached by a police officer.

“He asked if he could use the ladder,” Miele said. “So, I jump out. He (the officer) said, ‘There’s a runner on 95,’ and he wanted to look over the wall.”

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Miele shot cellphone video of the officer on his ladder looking for that man.  He said that, on the other side of the wall, police K-9s were moving in.

“He (the man being sought) didn’t want to come over,” Miele said.  “He did not want to be caught.  He was trying to run and trying to get away.”

Miele said the man eventually agreed to crawl under the wall and surrender to officers.

Action News Jax asked the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office about the case and their public information officer said, in part, ‘He was making suicidal threats to family/friends.’

He said JSO had the man was placed under the provisions of the Baker Act.

Action News Jax asked for the full report and if the public was believed to be in any danger, and hasn’t heard back.

Miele said the situation could’ve been much worse.

“Somebody definitely could’ve gotten hurt, especially if he’s running on the highway,” Miele said.

Cox Media Group