JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville officer is in critical condition after being shot Tuesday night in the parking lot of Baptist Health South. The person suspected of shooting the officer is dead, according to Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters.
Law enforcement sources confirmed to First Coast News that Taylor Smith is the officer who was shot.
The officer was working at the hospital, 14550 Old St. Augustine Road, when he noticed a person driving around the parking lot, "acting suspicious," police said.
The hospital was on lockdown following the shooting which occurred around 9:30 p.m.
The officer came out of the hospital to investigate and attempted to stop the car activating the lights on his police cruiser, Waters said. The person drove off and the officer was instructed to not chase him, Waters said.
Other officers arrived on the scene and set up locations around the hospital to look for the suspect, the sheriff said.
One of the responding officers saw the vehicle and approached it. The officer raised his hand to stop the car and the person rolled the window down and held out a gun and told the officer to shoot him, Water said. The officer did not and the person drove up and fired one shot into the police car, according to the sheriff.
The gunman then rammed two police cars when officers tried to stop him, Water said. Officers blocked the suspect's vehicle and commanded the gunman to get out of his car.
When the suspect didn't exit the vehicle, an officer approached the back passenger side door to open it. That's when the man fired a shot through the window hitting Smith in his face, Waters said. The bullet traveled to his chest area.
Five officers returned fire killing the man at the scene, Waters said.
Smith remains in critical, but stable condition on Wednesday morning, Waters said.
The identity of the suspect has not been released, at this time.
This is the 3rd JSO officer shot in the line of duty in 2023.
"It's getting very ridiculous. It's very dangerous," Waters said. "It's concerning. We want to make sure our officers and our citizens know that they did the right thing tonight. They made sure that that individual did not go into the hospital where who knows what could've happened."
Waters emphasized that police officers know their job comes with risks, but they should not have to expect to get shot on the job.
"We're not expendable. The police officers are not expendable. They're human beings that are doing their job every single day to try to keep everyone in this community safe," Waters said.
As for the shooter, his identity was not released and Waters says they are looking more into his background. So far, Waters says they've only seen a speeding ticket on his record.