JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville man is facing charges after a crime spree last week involving two auto thefts, two robberies to businesses and a police chase where Jacksonville Sheriff's Officers were shot at, JSO said Tuesday.
JSO Director of Investigations Mike Bruno announced the charges in a news conference at JSO headquarters in Downtown Jacksonville. The suspect, 21-year-old Dontravious Adair, stole a black Mercedes from a car dealership in the 7000 block of Blanding Boulevard around noon on Wednesday, March 10, Bruno said.
Adair drove the Mercedes just over 2 miles away and "for whatever reason" crashed it into the woodline, Bruno said.
"Not being satisfied to stop there, Adair goes to another dealership in the 7000 block of Blanding Boulevard and steals a white Lexus," Bruno said. "That vehicle will come more into play a little later on."
Adair continued his crime spree, robbing a convenience store in the 7000 block of Wheat Road around 2:30 p.m., according to police. He entered the store with a gun, pointed it at the employee, demanded money and left.
Bruno said Adair brazenly robbed the convenience store despite there being customers inside. Shortly after that robbery, at 4:25 p.m., Adair entered a bank in the 7700 block of 103rd Street, Bruno said.
Bruno described the bank robbery as a "takeover-style robbery." Adair entered the bank with his rifle full visible on surveillance cameras before forcing the security guard to the ground and taking his weapon from his gun belt, police said.
Adair then forced all of the customers into a corner, got cash and exited the bank, Bruno said. JSO officers who were "just seconds behind him" recognized Adair from some of his earlier crimes and saw him get into the white Lexus, which the recalled as being stolen earlier in the day, Bruno said.
Officers chased Adair west on 103rd Street as he weaved in and out of traffic, including some oncoming traffic, Bruno said. At some point during the pursuit, Adair starting firing shots at the officers, Bruno pointed out, which can be heard on one of the officers' bodycam video.
A short time after shooting at the officers, Adair crashed his vehicle into another driver's pickup truck, which was carrying a grandfather and granddaughter, police said.
"Our officer has to make a split-second decision," Bruno said. "I can't speak to everything that's going on inside his head, but he has to realize that if the suspect gets out of the car, is he going to try to carjack someone else? Is he going to shoot it out with the police? How is this going to end? So our officer makes a split-second decision to ram his police car into the suspect's vehicle to keep him contained in that vehicle."
After the officer rammed his patrol car into the suspect's vehicle, Adair was arrested without any further incident, Bruno said.
"There were three innocent individuals that were injured in that crash: the two civilians and our police officer was injured," Bruno said. "He made a decision that caused him injury, but he did it to protect the community."
All three of the people hurt in the crash were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Adair is now charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, two counts of armed robbery, fleeing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, shooting or throwing deadly missiles into a vehicle, reckless driving and two counts of auto theft, Bruno said.
"Adair had many decisions to make. He chose to go on a crime spree," Bruno said. "Our officers are simply responding. They're having to make split-second decisions, and many of those decisions are life-and-death decisions."
Adair has one prior arrest on his criminal record, but it was not for a violent crime, Bruno said.
Speaking of the officer who chose to ram Adair's vehicle with his patrol car, Bruno said he will likely receive accolades.
"You can never have enough training, and ultimately, training is one thing. Experience is another," Bruno said. You have to have training and experience to make split-second decisions and to get them right."
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