Undercover detectives shoot armed man in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Undercover narcotics detectives fired five to seven shots at a man during a confrontation in Jacksonville on Wednesday night.

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Director Tom Hackney said the shooting occurred after the detectives came upon an argument between the man and a group of people on the other side of the street. They intervened when they saw he had a handgun.

The man appeared to put away the handgun, Hackney told media gathered at the scene. When the man pulled the weapon out again, the officers fired at him, hitting him at least three times in the abdomen, leg and arm. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and underwent surgery late Wednesday. There was no update on his condition Thursday morning.

“People need to keep in mind that these things occur in seconds – the decision that police officers all over the country and here in Jacksonville have to make in these use-of-deadly force cases involve seconds,” Hackney said.

The names of the detectives aren’t being released because they are undercover officers. Hackney said the agency will provide more details about their careers on Thursday. The suspect’s name has also not been released.

This was the fourth shooting involving police officers in Jacksonville since March 12.