GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — A man suspected in a shooting earlier this week fired at deputies Friday morning in Green Cove Springs while they were trying to take him into custody.
Green Cove Springs Police Department Chief Guzman said they initially responded to a shooting on Tuesday morning on Calico Jack Way. They found a man was shot in the arm by another man.
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Police were unable to find the man suspected in the shooting, so Guzman said GCSPD reached out to the U.S. Marshal’s Service, which took over the case and asked the Clay County Sheriff’s Office for assistance.
Clay County Undersheriff Ron Lendvay said undercover deputies were doing surveillance Friday morning at Joey Drive and West Street in the search for the suspect, who investigators identified as 24-year-old Qwentin Simmons.
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Deputies saw Simmons leave on a bike. He realized he was being followed and began shooting at deputies and ran down North Street while firing at police vehicles.
One deputy returned fire and Simmons was taken into custody.
Action News Jax spoke with Eva Beard who lives nearby and heard the commotion.
“I just heard multiple gunshots --two types of gunshots like rapid,” Beard said.
Erica Pollock is local mother and waited anxiously to pick up her daughters from school during the police activity.
“My daughter actually was outside and heard all of the gunshots, so she’s pretty upset right now,” Pollock said. “So we’re just going to have a lot of cuddles when we get home.”
A man matching Simmons’ name and age was listed in the Clay County Jail’s online records as facing charges of attempted murder, assault and battery during a burglary and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
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No one was hurt in the shooting, Lendvay said.
Investigators are processing the crime scene and doing assessment damage.
Lendvay said if your property was hit by gunfire, call 904-264-6512.
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