A 14-year-old Jacksonville boy was arrested after deputies say he and another teen were caught breaking into cars with guns in Greenfield Manor early Friday, then ran when officers ordered them to stop. The chase ended with a police dog bite, a recovered stolen firearm and a juvenile detention decision—not a jaywalking arrest, as a misleading version of events suggested.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said District 3 patrol officers and the Canine Unit responded around 2:45 a.m. after reports that two people were actively burglarizing cars in the neighborhood. The department said officers saw Rashawn Knight and another teen break into a vehicle, identified themselves as law enforcement and ordered both to stop. The post opened with “Let’s clear up some misinformation,” directly rejecting the idea that the arrest stemmed from jaywalking.
Police Say The Teens Fled With Guns
Instead, the encounter escalated into a foot chase, police say. Knight and the other teen allegedly fled while holding guns; Knight dropped his weapon but continued running after officers gave loud commands. A canine handler deployed a police dog, which bit Knight and brought the pursuit to an end.
Police said the recovered firearm had been reported stolen and that officers also found a window breaker on Knight. He was arrested on nine counts of armed burglary and possession of a firearm by a minor, while a judge ordered him held in secure detention. The department did not provide the other teen’s name or specify that teen’s custody status in the post.
Florida Law Limits Firearm Possession By Minors
Florida law generally prohibits people under 18 from possessing firearms outside limited exceptions for activities such as supervised hunting or lawful shooting, according to the Florida firearm statute. The law also sets separate penalties for juvenile firearm possession, meaning the final outcome will depend on the juvenile court process rather than the arrest allegations alone.
JSO said Knight was taken into custody without deadly force and that the canine deployment underwent a full administrative review. The department said that review found no policy violations tied to the officers’ handling of the call.
Anyone with information about the alleged burglaries is asked to call JSO’s non-emergency line at 904-630-0500, while emergencies should go to 911. The sheriff’s office also warned that its social account is not monitored around the clock—a useful reminder when a viral claim gets out ahead of the police report.
