Jacksonville officer fatally shoots man holding ax in McGirts Creek

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville police officer shot and killed a 43-year-old man in McGirts Creek.

In a news conference Thursday afternoon, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Chief of Investigations T.K. Waters said the incident began just before 4 a.m. when police received a call about a mentally ill man who was causing a disturbance at a home on Morse Avenue.

But police were unable to locate the suspect when they responded to the area.

Later, around 11:30 a.m., police received more calls from neighbors claiming the man was vandalizing homes.

This time, officers located the man in a wooded area. According to Waters, as one of the JSO officers approached, he found the suspect was holding an ax and began ordering him to put it down.

Police say during the exchange, the man raised the ax and the officer fired a single shot, killing him.

JSO identified the suspect as Kevin Mahan.

It should be noted that while Mahan’s behavior led JSO to believe he was mentally ill, that has not yet been confirmed.

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