JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has placed two of its officers on administrative leave while it investigates a deadly police-involved shooting on the Westside.
Both officers shot at 28-year-old D'Angelo Stallworth inside the Planters Walk Apartments on Blanding Boulevard.
Around 9:55 a.m. dozens of police cars surrounded the complex while a helicopter circled the scene taking aerial photos.
According to Director Tom Hackney, 25-year veteran Steve Srozinski and 24-year veteran Troy Bloum reported to the apartments Tuesday to enforce an eviction.
The officers went to the apartment along with two maintenance workers. The unit was empty and clean, but they noticed someone was on the patio.
"The officer sees this subject on two different occasions. On the second time he goes out to question him, what he was doing," said Hackney.
Hackney said the suspect was near the laundry room of the apartment they were there to evict.
"As he goes out there, leans out toward the comforter that's on the ground, throws comforter back, picks up a handgun, turns towards that officer and drives that handgun into his chest," said Hackney.
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That's when Hackney said the officer yelled out that there was a gun.
The other officer who was inside with the maintenance workers came out to help. According to JSO, there was a struggle for the gun.
The suspect managed to get away and started running down the stairs, but police said he then turned toward the officers.
"Officers both fearing that the firearm is going to be used against them fired their guns," said Hackney.
Srozinski fired four times and Bloum fired twice.
According to Hackney, the gun was found at the top of the stairs where the fight started, along with two containers of marijuana, possibly packaged for sale. Police said they also found a magazine for the gun at the base of the steps.
"They were wrestling him with the gun, they may not have realized at that point in time where he turned towards them that the gun had come loose up on the stairwell. He turned towards them, them fearing for their life, deployed deadly force," said Hackney.
Action News checked Stallworth's background and found an aggravated battery charge from 2010 that was reduced to domestic battery involving a minor injury. There were also other minor traffic violations on his record.
According to JSO, neither Srozinski or Bloum have ever been involved in a police shooting.
Hackney expressed his condolences to the family but said ultimately the suspect shouldn't have pointed a gun at police.
"Had he not picked up that gun and not aimed it at those officers, he would be on his merry way today," said Hackney.
JSO said Stallworth may be connected to the apartment the officers were trying to evict.
According to Stallworth's family, he had two daughters and a son and worked at UPS.