A Jacksonville officer shot and killed a man brandishing a knife at a gas station in the Englewood area on Thursday.
The officer wasn't injured.
According to JSO, Jerry Marrero, 38, entered the Gate Gas Station located at 3150 Emerson Street shortly before 6:51 a.m. while the store was full of customers. Due to a large amount of store traffic, employees did not immediately realize that the suspect had a knife in his right hand.
Police say Marrero walked around the store and was muttering unintelligible profane sentences. He also poured out a bottle of motor oil onto the floor.
Police say the suspect then walked into the employee area where the cash register and employees were working and barricaded the employees from leaving the area. The subject demanded that the police were called and continued to make profane statements, according to JSO.
Officer Santoro with JSO entered the store and store employees began to evacuate the business.
When the officer approached the suspect still armed with a knife. Officer Santoro told him repeatedly to drop the knife and to get on the ground.
Police say that instead of following the officer's orders, the suspect made a move towards the police officer and the officer fired his weapon six times.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded to take the suspect to an area hospital where he later died.
Of 37 total disciplinary reviews, Officer Santoro has received 12 were “sustained” following an internal investigation– including mishandling evidence and departure from the truth
He has received a total of 24 citizen complaints. This officer information is current as of Jan. 2018.
JSO says this was Santoro's third on-duty shooting.