JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A man was shot and killed after police say he pulled out a gun and shot at an officer on Jacksonville’s Westside on Tuesday afternoon.
The officer put out a call of “shots fired” on his radio around 3:30 p.m., Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Chief of Investigations Mike Paul said.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
The officer was at a “stop station” in the 1700 block of West Beaver Street near Stockton Street, Paul said.
JSO said previously that stop stations are places in the community that offer officers “a secure space to take a quick break before heading back out to protect and serve the community” and “are not open to the public.”
The officer was in his parked car, seated in his vehicle, Paul said. A man, later identified as 45-year-old Christopher Ford, approached the officer’s vehicle.
Paul said the interaction between Ford and the officer was a short conversation. During this time, Ford pulled out a handgun and started walking backwards, Paul said.
The officer pulled out his gun and then the suspect fired his weapon, missed the officer, and hit the stop station, Paul said.
The officer fired his weapon and hit Ford, who was taken into custody and was given aid by the officer.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Ford was taken to UF Health Jacksonville, where he was pronounced dead.
Paul said Ford was held under Florida’s Baker Act in February and has no local criminal history.
Paul said the JSO Cold Case Unit will continue to investigate the shooting. The officer activated his body-worn camera, but since the interaction was so quick, it may not have captured the whole thing, Paul said.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
This is the second officer-involved shooting the officer has been involved in and he is not being identified at this time due to Marsy’s Law, Paul said.
The officer will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard JSO policy.
Paul said this is the 14th officer-involved shooting for JSO this year.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.