‘Absolutely terrifying': Neighbor describes moments man was shot by Jacksonville police after driving car toward officer

Yahoo

12-02-2025

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said an officer shot a suspect who drove a car toward him on Tuesday.
It happened on Gossett Street in Oceanway.
RELATED: JSO: Man driving car toward police shot multiple times, asked for cigarette after crawling from car
Neighbors told Action News Jax it was scary. When they heard the gunshots, some ducked for cover.
'It's absolutely terrifying,' neighbor Jonathon Lankford said. 'I have four children, three daughters so it's absolutely horrible.'
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
JSO said the incident started when Sgt. Ben McEwan returned to Gossett Street to follow up on a traffic stop from last week. The suspect, 29-year-old Michael Youmans, had fled from officers at the time. So, on Tuesday, the officers came to verify the suspect.
Police say Youmans, again, did not comply.
'He reversed his vehicle a few feet back. The sergeant was giving him more commands: 'Stop! Stop! Don't do it. Don't do it,'' JSO Chief of Investigations Alan Parker said. 'The suspect then puts it in drive and accelerates towards the sergeant.'
Lankford heard all of this from his backyard.
'I heard a bunch of screaming, a bunch of commotion. I kept hearing, 'Get on the ground! Get on the ground,'' Lankford said. 'I heard I think six gunshots, stared freaking out, told my kids get down.'
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
JSO said Sgt. McEwan shot at Youmans through the windshield, hitting him in the face several times. JSO says Youmans got out and started crawling.
Lankford heard him screaming.
'He was screaming, 'I'm going to die, I'm going to die,'' Lankford said. 'And his family was screaming,. Everyone was in shambles. There's dogs barking everywhere, and it was just intense. It was crazy.'
After yelling out about dying, he yelled something else that baffled Sheriff T.K. Waters.
'He literally asked for a cigarette multiple times,' Sheriff Waters said.
Lankford said he is tired of the dangerous activity in the area, and this was the last straw.
'Terrified,' Lankford said. 'We're definitely looking for places to rent.'
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
JSO said Sgt. McEwan is not hurt, but he's pretty shaken up. He's been with the agency for 11 years, and this was his first officer-involved shooting.
Meanwhile, Youmans is stable in the hospital. Action News Jax also learned that he's been arrested in Jacksonville more than a dozen times, and even in other counties too. The arrests are related to drugs, theft, trespassing, burglary, resisting officers, and fleeing and eluding.
This was JSO's first officer-involved shooting this year.
JSO says body camera footage will be released in a matter of 21 days.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.