An 18-year-old man, Cerry Banks, was hospitalized after being shot by Jacksonville police following a confrontation with a mother who accused him of sending inappropriate texts to her 13-year-old daughter. The incident took place early Monday morning at a local Popeyes restaurant in Murray Hill, as reported by First Coast News.
According to Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Chief Alan Parker, the mother had arranged to meet Banks at the Popeyes located at 649 McDuff Ave. South to confront him over his interactions with her daughter. When the mother, accompanied by her 13-year-old and 11-year-old children, met with Banks, he reportedly displayed a pistol and made a threatening comment, claiming, "When you hear the shots tonight, you'll know what's up." Fearing for their safety, the mother hustled her children inside the restaurant and, then called the police, as noted by Action News Jax.
Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Garrion Robinson encountered Banks behind the Popeyes. The suspect initially failed to comply with orders and attempted to flee, eventually pulling out a gun during the chase. Parker detailed in a press conference that Robinson, facing the armed suspect, shouted commands and fired multiple shots, wounding Banks. The injured Banks was later found by authorities hiding in a drainage culvert nearby, according to The Miami Herald.
Following the shooting, Banks was taken into custody and transported to a hospital, where he remains in a stable condition. He suffered gunshot wounds to his hand, torso, and potentially one in the leg, Chief Parker said during the press conference. The events leading to the shooting have sparked an ongoing investigation by local law enforcement, and Banks is facing aggravated assault charges with the possibility of additional charges pending.