Keystone Heights residents woke up to cruisers lining their streets Friday morning as Clay County deputies fanned out through a neighborhood, searching for a man who ran from a traffic stop and briefly rattled the quiet community. Units converged near the intersection of Paradise Drive and SW Pecan Street while SaferWatch alerts pinged neighbors' phones, and authorities later told local outlets the suspect had been taken into custody.
According to First Coast News, the Clay County Sheriff's Office warned of heavy law enforcement activity in the Paradise Drive and SW Pecan Street area while deputies combed the neighborhood. Details about the traffic stop that triggered all the action were not immediately clear, but deputies had patrol cars staged along nearby roads as they worked the search.
The SaferWatch app, which Clay County and other districts use to send mass notifications and collect tips, allows officials to push location-specific alerts and receive text, photo, and video tips directly from the public, according to the company. That system is designed to speed communication during active situations and was the tool used to reach residents as deputies tried to track the man down.
Search Details and Arrest
News4JAX reported that the SaferWatch alert described the man as a white male in his late 30s with tattoos and a beard, possibly wearing a gray shirt. Even as cruisers moved through the area, deputies told residents there was no immediate threat to the wider community.
Officials asked anyone who spotted the man to call 911 or the Clay County Sheriff's Office at 904-264-6512. By about 8:45 a.m., according to News4JAX, deputies announced that the man was in custody. Authorities did not immediately release more information about the original traffic stop.
School Briefly Secured
As deputies searched nearby streets, Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High was placed on secure status, the district told families. Per district messaging reported by First Coast News, secure status means everyone is brought inside, all exterior doors are locked, and students and staff are accounted for while classes continue as normal.
School officials later said regular campus activities had resumed and asked parents to stay away from campus during the lockout, even as social media buzzed with questions about the police presence just beyond the school grounds.
