Jacksonville police shoot, kill man in Beach Blvd. incident
The bizarre incident began at about 6 p.m. when police responded to a traffic crash with injuries at the intersection of Beach Boulevard and I-295, JSO Chief Alan Parker said at a news briefing.
Witnesses told police that a Toyota Camry turning from the eastbound lanes of Beach Boulevard onto the northbound I-295 entrance ramp was struck by a westbound SUV whose driver had run a run a red light.
A woman driving the car told police that after the vehicles collided, she looked at the man in the SUV and saw him give her a 'thumbs up' before he exited the vehicle and began wandering around.
She, along with her children ages 7 and 10, received minor injuries in the crash, police said, and were treated at the scene.
But the man began making statements that he 'was going to shoot himself,' Parker said rescue crews and another witness told police.
Officers verified the man had a gun and cleared the immediate area of the accident.
After 20 minutes of negotiating with the man — who refused to give his name — police said a bicyclist rode through the scene, and when the man with the gun still in his hands turned towards the bicyclist, 'the officers had to engage him,' Parker said.
The man, whose name was not released pending notification of next of kin, was taken to a local hospital, where he died.
The two officers who fatally shot the man were identified as Greg Hernandez, a 6-year veteran of the force, and Z. Slatowski, a 4.5-year veteran, Alan said. It was the first officer-involved shooting for each.
The shooting is the second this week and third this month that involved a police officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
On July 15, Jacksonville police shot and killed a man they said was attacking a pregnant woman who was trying to shield her child from the suspect in an incident in the 12500 block of Brahma Bull Circle near New Berlin Road. After using Tasers several times on the suspect, police fatally shot the man.
On July 9, Officer Luis Mercado, a four-year veteran of JSO, was shot in the leg during a gunfight with a robbery suspect on Soutel Drive near Norfolk Boulevard. The suspect, 20, was critically wounded in the confrontation and died at a local hospital.
How many police shootings in Jacksonville in 2025?
It marks the Sheriff's Office's 12th police shooting this year. Six have been fatal. Last year had a total of eight, with three being fatal, according to Florida Times-Union records.
This story has been updated to include new information.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville police shooting closes Beach Boulevard
Solve the daily Crossword

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A 7-Year-Old Boy Died in a 'Dog Attack' Despite Grandma's Attempt to Save Him. 9 Dogs Were 'Humanely Euthanized' as a Result
Noah Burnett died from injuries sustained during the July 22 dog attack, which occurred in Alabama A young boy in Alabama was killed in a dog attack, despite his grandmother's attempt to save him. The 7-year-old boy was attacked by dogs 'in the area of County Road 147' near the city of Calera, Ala., on the evening of Tuesday, July 22, according to the Chilton County Sheriff's Office (CCSO). Local Fox affiliate WBRC identified the child as Noah Burnett. Shortly after 6:10 p.m. local time, deputies arrived at the scene to find that Burnett had 'suffered serious injuries as a result of an attack by one or more aggressive dogs,' police said in a press release. According to Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon, Burnett's grandmother was also bitten multiple times in an attempt to save the 7-year-old, WBRC reported. The child was transported for emergency medical treatment, but died following the attack. 'It is with great sadness that we report the child has succumbed to their injuries," the sheriff's office said. 'Our hearts are broken for the child and the family affected by this unimaginable loss,' Shearon added in a press release. 'We are fully committed to a thorough investigation to determine how this tragedy occurred and to help prevent anything like this from happening again.' Burnett's grandmother was also taken to the hospital for treatment, but is expected to recover, according to WBRC. In its initial announcement of the attack, the CCSO said that 'the dog or dogs involved' had 'not yet been located or secured.' The sheriff's office also said that an investigation was underway 'to determine the full circumstances of the attack, including whether the animals involved were stray or domesticated and under someone's ownership.' Shortly after, the sheriff's office confirmed there were nine dogs connected to the incident, and they belonged to an owner, who surrendered them to Chilton County Animal Control. "These animals were not stray dogs,' the sheriff's office said. 'They belonged to a local resident and were kept on private property prior to the incident.' All nine dogs 'were humanely euthanized in accordance with standard safety protocols and were sent for testing as part of the investigation,' according to police. The surrendered dogs consisted of several different breeds, including shepherd mixes, pit bull-terrier mixes, lab mixes, a hound mix and a pit bull-terrier-akita mix, according to police. They ranged in age from 6 months to 3 years old. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Following Burnett's death, his family declined to speak with WBRC, but they did describe him as having 'a big heart and an even bigger personality,' the outlet said. 'To know' Burnett 'was to love him,' says a GoFundMe raising money for funeral expenses for the 7-year-old. 'He had the biggest heart and the most outgoing personality! He was the life of the party, and he was always dirty; he loved being outside and playing in the dirt.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Landlord jailed for decades in hate-crime attack on Palestinian American family has died
JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — A landlord jailed for decades after he attacked a Palestinian American boy and his mother has died. Three months ago, Joseph Czuba was sentenced to 53 years behind bars for the attack. He was found guilty in February of murder, attempted murder and hate-crime charges in the death of Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of the boy's mother, Hanan Shaheen. The 73-year-old Czuba targeted them in October 2023 because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas, which started days earlier. Czuba died Thursday in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections, the Chicago Sun-Times reported, citing the Will County Sheriff's Office. The law enforcement agency did not return a call seeking comment on the death. Ahmed Rehab, the executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations' Chicago office, said in a statement on Saturday that 'this depraved killer has died, but the hate is still alive and well.' Evidence at trial included harrowing testimony from Shaheen and her frantic 911 call, along with bloody crime scene photos and police video. Jurors deliberated less than 90 minutes before handing in a verdict. The family had been renting rooms in Czuba's home in Plainfield, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Chicago when the attack happened. Central to prosecutors' case was harrowing testimony from the boy's mother, who said Czuba attacked her before moving on to her son, insisting they had to leave because they were Muslim. Prosecutors also played the 911 call and showed police footage. Czuba's wife, Mary, whom he has since divorced, also testified for the prosecution, saying he had become agitated about the Israel-Hamas war, which had erupted days earlier. Police said Czuba pulled a knife from a holder on a belt and stabbed the boy 26 times, leaving the knife in the child's body. Some of the bloody crime scene photos were so explicit that the judge agreed to turn television screens showing them away from the audience, which included Wadee's relatives. The attack renewed fears of anti-Muslim discrimination and hit particularly hard in Plainfield and surrounding suburbs, which have a large and established Palestinian community. Wadee's funeral drew large crowds, and Plainfield officials have dedicated a park playground in his honor.


CBS News
29 minutes ago
- CBS News
McKinney man charged with murder after his wife was found dead in a closet, police say
A 42-year-old McKinney man has been charged with murder after firefighters responding to a welfare check found his wife dead in a closet with a stab wound on Friday. Around 6 p.m., McKinney firefighters and police were called to the 5700 block of Broken Spur Drive after a family member in Dallas requested a welfare check. According to police, overseas relatives believed Eslam Mohamed may have been having a medical emergency. The McKinney Fire crew arrived at the home first and forced entry, police said. They found Mohamed on the living room couch with minor injuries and saw blood on his hands. When asked if anyone else was in the home, he mentioned a woman in a closet, the report states. Firefighters found a dead woman in the master bedroom closet with a stab wound to her neck, later identified as Mohamed's wife, 40-year-old Kubra Zafer. Police said a knife was found nearby. The firefighters immediately exited the home and waited for police to arrive. Mohamed was taken into custody and taken to the hospital for treatment, police said. He was later booked into the Collin County Jail for murder. The investigation is ongoing.