We’ve learned more about the man fatally shot by Jacksonville police at a Springfield home Monday night.
Police first responded to a home at 2115 Pearl St N in reference to domestic violence between a father and two teenagers. JSO Chief Tom Hackney says they received enough information to arrest 38-year-old Anthony Dwayne Harris. They say he was involved in a fight with his 17-year-old son, which ended in Harris pushing the teen in to a china cabinet which broke glass and caused some injury. The teen’s mother called in the alleged battery.
When police tried to take Harris in to custody, he told police he would not return to jail, and began resisting. Harris and two officers- Scott Williams and Kevin Kilcoin- wound up on the ground in what Hackney described as a sort of wrestling match. At that time, Harris was able to unsnap Kilcoin’s gun and begin to remove it from his holster. When Williams saw that take place he removed himself from the confrontation and fired seven shots at Harris. All seven hit and he died on the scene.
Kilcoin also suffered a non-life threatening injury, although police could not determine whether that was because of a bullet. He was injured in the thigh. It may have been a bullet, ricochet, or random debris on the ground.
The officers are on administrative leave, per JSO protocol.
Harris had an extensive record, including 25 separate arrests. The first was when he was 15-years-old and found guilty of murder or attempted murder in the first degree. The most recent was various drug charges, for which he was released from jail just a few days ago.
Not all of his arrests resulted in guilty verdicts or formal charges. He was found guilty of 13 different charges relating to drugs, traffic violations, gambling, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and other related charges.
