Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department says it has wrapped up its internal review of the Dec. 29 paintball incident near downtown LaVilla, and the four firefighters who were temporarily reassigned during the probe are now back on active duty. The department says the employees remain in the criminal-justice process, with administrative restrictions in place while their cases move forward, and that station operations were not affected.
How the probe began
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, officers first noticed green paint splatters on a marked patrol car near North Jefferson and West Duval streets on Dec. 29, 2025, and a civilian driver reported similar damage. JSO says responding officers then found paint on traffic signs, a dumpster and an abandoned structure, and later recovered 14 red-and-green paintballs from the roof of a nearby fire station.
What investigators say they found
Local reporting and police records indicate investigators concluded the paint impacts were consistent with rounds fired from an elevated position and that firefighters were seen quickly entering the station and closing the bay doors. Witnesses told Action News Jax they heard sharp thuds and saw someone run back into the building after the shots.
Internal review completes; restrictions set
News4JAX reports JFRD completed its internal review this week and returned the four involved firefighters to active duty while transferring them from Station 4 for a minimum one-year period. The department also says the transferred personnel are ineligible for any USAR deployments during that time and that an employee who was not arrested has been suspended for 72 hours without pay.
Arrests and charges
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says detectives identified four JFRD personnel, obtained warrants and arrested them on Jan. 23; each was booked on misdemeanor criminal-mischief charges, according to the JSO news release. The arrests followed interviews by JSO’s Integrity Unit and the development of physical evidence tying the paint impacts to the station’s roof and driveway.
Legal status
As the misdemeanor cases work through the courts, prosecutors will decide whether to file formal charges and what penalties to seek. For now, the accused employees continue through the criminal-justice process, the department says. Any additional discipline from JFRD beyond the transfers and suspension will be determined by the department’s administrative procedures now that its internal review has closed.
What comes next
Questions about why arrests were delayed, how the Integrity Unit reopened the investigation and whether supervisors missed red flags have drawn scrutiny in reporting by Action News Jax and in earlier coverage on paintball spree against a JSO patrol car and civilian vehicles. Both JFRD and JSO maintain public safety was not affected and say they are cooperating as legal and administrative reviews continue.
Officials have not said whether further training, demotions or pay reductions will follow. The community and city leaders will be watching for any prosecutorial filings or additional departmental discipline in the weeks ahead.
