JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released body camera footage of an incident where an armed man threatened a gas station, forcing a worker to call police to the scene so that they could kill him.
The March 17 incident began when the man entered a gas station convenience store and walked around inside for several minutes. He then pulled out what appeared to be a handgun and pointed it at the store clerk, demanding that they call the police.
Surveillance footage from inside the store shows the man ordering store patrons out and telling the clerk he didn’t want to harm them. He ordered them to leave after they made the call.
He told the clerk that he wanted to die and that he wanted the police to kill him.
Surveillance video shows officers arriving at the scene. The man can be seen yelling, “Ready?” from inside the doors of the store.
He then ran out of the store with the gun raised, heading in the direction of a cruiser. A gunshot can be heard, and the man falls to the ground.
Body camera footage from an officer at the scene shows officers firing shots at the man as he ran out of the store. After he fell, they cautiously approached to begin rendering aid. The man did not survive his injuries.
The sheriff’s office recovered the man’s Glock 19 replica airsoft gun at the scene.
The man had a criminal history including arrests for domestic battery, DUI and theft, according to the sheriff’s office. If he had survived his injuries from the March 17 incident, he would have been charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
