Florida Times-Union
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville police arrested a 40-year-old man on two charges of attempted murder after two of their own were injured by gunfire in the Durkeeville area, police said today.
Ronald R. Newberry of Jacksonville was found at his mother’s house in the 12600 block of West Sixth Street.
John Bracey, a spokesman for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, said the officers’ injuries are not life-threatening.
Undersheriff Frank Mackesy said the shooting happened about 9:20 p.m. Saturday. Two officers were patrolling the neighborhood around the intersection of Wilcox Street and West Sixth Street when they crossed paths with a man drinking alcohol out of an open container.
Mackesy said the man fled, and police pursued on foot. But things turned ugly when the man pulled out a gun and started firing. One officer returned fire, according to police.
One officer was shot in the gun hand and another in the leg, Mackesy said. One of them was able to return fire but it wasn’t known if he hit the assailant. The wounded officers are five-year veteran Ronald Bilyew and William Shrum, who is a probationary employee with less than two years at the department, Mackesy said.
Several other units were called to the Wilcox Street area where the gunman fled between houses around Sixth and Fifth streets. A police helicopter and K-9s engulfed the area, and multiple streets were blocked off.
“It’s a bad night, but it’s not the worse outcome it could have been,” Mackesy said.
After bringing Newberry into police headquarters, officers discovered a gunshot wound to his lower back area. Newberry was taken to Shands Jacksonville for treatment and is expected to be brought back today to be booked into jail, police said.
The shooting Saturday night followed another a couple miles away and 20 minutes earlier, but Mackesy said it was not related. In that one, a female juvenile suffered critical injuries on Calvin Street near Stockton Street.
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