JACKSONVILLE, Fla — In the evening hours of Friday, October 24, 2025, patrol officers responded to the 9400 block of Harriet Avenue in reference to a reported domestic battery. Upon arrival, they observed 32-year-old Rashaud Van Martin standing in the roadway. As he noticed the officers’ arrival, Martin immediately attempted to flee the area on foot. As he ran, Martin tripped and was taken into custody without incident or any use of force. According to JSO, after being restrained, Martin continued to kick, flail, and attempt to bite officers while ignoring their commands. The man displayed signs commonly associated with extreme behavior incidents (profuse sweating, incoherent ramblings, and disassociation with reality) while officers were on scene. As a result of his behavior and demeanor, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department was notified and responded to evaluate Martin. Evaluation attempwere met with his continued resistance and aggressive, erratic behavior.

As officers continued their investigation into the potential criminal complaint, the complainant expressed to the officers that they did not wish to pursue criminal charges and did not want Martin to be arrested. The complainant provided a history to officers that he had been previously diagnosed with Schizophrenia and had not taken his medication as prescribed recently. The officers on scene determined Martin met the criteria for a Baker Act and transported him to a local receiving facility. While en route, the receiving facility was contacted to alert them to Martin’s pending arrival, along with his behavior, to ensure adequate staffing. Upon arrival at the facility and while waiting for Mr. Martin to be admitted, the officers observed that he became unresponsive. They immediately removed him from the vehicle and began administering life-saving measures, and requested JFRD’s assistance. Mr. Martin was subsequently transported to a local medical facility, but he was pronounced deceased upon arrival.

The Cold Case Unit was notified of the death and responded to the scene, along with members of the Crime Scene Unit, to begin their investigation. This continues to be an active investigation, and JSO is working with the Medical Examiner’s Office, awaiting the results of the Autopsy and Toxicology results.

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