A newly released critical-incident video from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office shows a specialized armored vehicle known as a "rook" punching its arm through the window of a pickup truck behind the Walmart on San Pablo Road, pumping gas inside during an hours-long standoff. The footage then captures the moment a man police identified as 37-year-old Samuel Waters Jr. emerges from the truck holding a knife and a pistol before SWAT officers open fire. Waters was handcuffed on the pavement, given medical aid at the scene and taken to a hospital in what police described as stable condition.
According to the department, the incident started on May 6 when family members asked officers to serve an ex-parte court order after reporting that Waters was living in his vehicle and might be armed. As reported by News4JAX, SWAT rolled out the rook at about 7:15 p.m. and used it to push gas into the truck’s cab. In the video, the rook’s arm slips through the driver’s window, and gas quickly fills the interior before Waters comes out.
In its on-scene briefing, JSO said Waters fired twice toward officers, with one round hitting the rook, before SWAT members returned fire and struck him multiple times. The agency said Waters pulled himself back into the truck, then reappeared bleeding and collapsed on the ground, where officers moved in, cuffed him and began first aid. Jacksonville Fire Rescue paramedics then took over and transported him, according to a JSO press release.
How the rook was used
The rook is an armored, multi-terrain loader that has been modified for SWAT operations, giving officers a mobile platform for breaching, elevated positions and delivering gas or other less-lethal agents into tight spaces. As outlined by Government Fleet, the Ring Power Rook is built on a Caterpillar chassis and can be fitted with attachments to break windows, push vehicles or deploy less-lethal options during barricade standoffs like this one.
What police say and charges
JSO says Waters already had outstanding warrants for aggravated assault (domestic), resisting an officer and trespassing, and that his family sought the ex-parte order because they were worried about his mental health and his access to firearms. Action News Jax reports the department says Waters will face multiple charges, including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting with violence, and that he will be held under the Baker Act for mental-health evaluation while he continues receiving hospital care.
Investigation and next steps
The State Attorney’s Office responded to the scene to begin an initial review, and JSO says it will launch its own internal investigation once prosecutors are finished. In a departmental post, the agency identified six SWAT officers who fired during the confrontation and said none of the officers was injured. JSO says full case materials will be added to its online transparency page.
Nearby schools and shoppers
The hours-long standoff triggered a lockout at nearby Alimacani Elementary School and left shoppers stuck inside surrounding stores while police sealed off the Walmart parking lot, snarling traffic at Atlantic Boulevard and San Pablo Road. Witnesses described an intense scene, and local coverage notes that negotiators spent hours working to de-escalate the situation before tactical options were used, according to News4JAX.
The full critical-incident briefing video is posted on the department’s YouTube channel here, and both the State Attorney’s Office and JSO say they will release their findings once the parallel reviews are complete.
