JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is investigating its second officer-involved shooting in two days.
On Tuesday, JSO officers responded to 3600 College Place for a call of someone shooting into a vehicle. A man pointed a rifle at a car and fired, shooting out the window.
Officers say the man also pointed the rifle at officers, who fired shots at him. Sheriff TK Waters says the man's gun turned out to be an air rifle that looked like a rifle. That posed the question, can officers determine the difference between the lethality of guns when faced with a threat?
"The officer doesn't have the chance to determine or distinguish whether or not it's a real gun or not," said Safety and Crime Expert Mark Baughman.
First Coast News Crime and safety expert Mark Baughman says in training, officers are taught when threatened with a weapon, to use their own. Baughman says guns have many similarities making it difficult for officers to determine if a gun is less lethal when faced with a threat.
"It's very surprising if you can imagine a citizen driving down the road someone points a rifle at you and squeezes off what they think is a round at the time and it actually busted her window," Sheriff TK Waters said during Tuesday's press conference.
The man who was shot by officers is in stable condition and facing multiple federal charges.