The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released information and video regarding a fatal officer-involved shooting on January 5, on Egrets Nest Drive, which resulted in the death of 34-year-old Daniel Rodriguez. According to a social media post from the sheriff’s office, had Rodriguez survived, he would have faced charges of Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer with a Firearm.
Witnesses at an apartment complex reported seeing Rodriguez in a heated argument with his wife while holding a handgun. Officers J. Roderick and J. Milam were informed of this before arriving on the scene. The officers first encountered Rodriguez’s wife in the parking lot and were speaking with her when Rodriguez appeared nearby. During their attempt to engage him, Rodriguez reportedly displayed the firearm. A struggle followed as the officers attempted to disarm him, during which Rodriguez fired once. Both officers then discharged their assigned weapons.
Backup officers secured the firearm from Rodriguez and provided emergency medical assistance before paramedics transported him to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries. A subsequent examination by the Medical Examiner’s Office found that Rodriguez had sustained a contact gunshot wound under his jaw, with a .40 caliber bullet lodged in his brain. As per a Facebook post, the officers involved were carrying 9mm handguns.
The ongoing investigation will include an independent review by the State Attorney’s Office to assess the legality of the officers’ actions, followed by an internal review by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to evaluate adherence to department policy. The results of both reviews have not yet been released.
