Burglary suspect armed with knife shot, critically injured by Jacksonville officer

Jacksonville, FL — A man who was armed with a knife was shot multiple times by a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer on the northside this morning. As of a midday news briefing by JSO, the suspect was in critical condition at a hospital.

Police were called around 7:30 am about a suspicious person on Hawthorne Street near the Trout River.  Officers recognized the man as a suspect in a burglary in the same neighborhood on October 31st.  The man was standing in a yard with both hands in his pockets.

Chief TK Waters says two officers gave verbal commands for the man to show his hands.

“The suspect turned to run as officers approached. The suspect did remove his hands as he was running, they could not see it”, said Waters.

One of the officers deployed a taser and while the man fell to the ground, he was not incapacitated.

“As a second officer approached from a different direction, he fell to the ground in close proximity to the suspect. The suspect then turned toward the officer on the ground holding a knife in his right hand”, said Waters.

Officer RA Linde, an 11-year veteran with JSO, fired three times, striking the suspect. This is officer Linde’s first officer-involved shooting.  Both officers were wearing body cameras.

Police did not publicly release the suspect’s identity until his family is notified, however Chief Waters said the suspect has prior convictions for several burglaries as well as a drug conviction.