Tragedy struck on Ahmad Drive near West 45th Street last month when Derrick Griffin, 50, sustained multiple gunshot wounds in an incident Jacksonville police say involved his own daughter's boyfriend. According to Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO), Griffin was fatally injured trying to intervene in a fight between the couple on August 7. After being rushed to the hospital by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD), Griffin fought for his life until last Sunday, when he succumbed to his injuries.
The aftermath of the shooting has quickly to unravel, with the JSO's Robbery and Violent Crimes Unit detectives piecing together the events of that fateful day. Reports indicate that Taylor, the 24-year-old suspect, was already a convicted felon before allegedly discharging his weapon multiple times at Griffin. Following a coordinated manhunt with the United States Marshals Task Force, Taylor was arrested on August 25th for Attempted Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. While incarcerated at John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility, the charges were upgraded after Griffin's death.
With Griffin's passing, the case took a somber turn as JSO's Homicide Unit detectives presented their findings to the State Attorney’s Office, resulting in an upgraded arrest warrant for Taylor for the charge of Griffin’s murder. "Taylor was already behind bars in John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility (Duval County jail) when detectives arrested him for murder," declared a statement from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. He is expected to remain in jail awaiting trial.
