Yesterday afternoon, a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office sergeant shot and wounded a suspect identified as Michael Youmans, a 29-year-old white male with a substantial criminal history. The altercation occurred on Gossett Street on the Northside, when the sergeant, faced with a vehicle driven towards him, discharged his firearm multiple times.

The confrontation stemmed from a follow-up to a traffic stop involving Youmans, who had previously evaded police. According to a social media post by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, when the sergeant, named Ben McEwan, made contact, Youmans backed his vehicle between a trailer and fence. Despite repeated instructions to exit his vehicle with hands raised, Youmans instead reversed and drove toward McEwan, prompting the gunfire.

Youmans, upon being shot, managed to bring his vehicle to a halt before exiting and positioning himself onto his hands and knees. In a moment that seemed out of place given the seriousness of the event, Youmans requested a cigarette from nearby residents while in that vulnerable state. He received medical aid at the scene and was subsequently hospitalized, where he remains in stable condition.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office described Youmans' criminal background as being extensive, with a 13-page record that includes charges like resisting arrest with, and without violence, theft, burglary, and drug possession. This incident marks the first officer-involved shooting for the office in 2025. An investigation by the State Attorney’s Office is underway, paralleled by a separate internal probe by the JSO itself.

In line with a commitment to transparency, Sheriff Waters has announced that the body-worn camera footage from the incident will be released within 21 days.