GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — The Green Cove Springs Police Department identified the suspect shot during a hostage situation at a Speedway gas station Saturday night.
Lancy L. Keenon, 44, of Palatka, is currently hospitalized with a gunshot wound after he was shot by SWAT officers, according to the GCSPD. He is charged with armed kidnapping, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony.
The incident started at about 7 p.m., while thousands of people were watching the annual parade.
Police say a caller reported a hostage situation happening at the Speed. Officers who were already securing the Christmas parade and making arrests at two separate locations were dispatched to the gas station and quickly responded to the scene.
On arrival, officers first helped remove the store's clerk, who had been hiding inside the store, from the scene. Officers also pinned the suspect, Lancy Kennon, and his hostage in a small area of the gas station, according to police.
With Kennon pinned in a single area, SWAT arrived on the scene and began to negotiate with him to release the hostage. During negotiations, a Clay County SWAT officer shot Kennon, who police say was holding a weapon.
The victim was released unharmed. Kennon was taken to the hospital for treatments of his gunshot wound, according to police.
It is believed the incident started as a domestic dispute between Kennon and the victim, the Clay County Sheriff's Office said Saturday.
The Florida Department of Enforcement is investigating the deputy-involved shooting part of the incident. The Green Cove Springs Police Department is handling the investigation into the hostage situation, including the circumstances leading up to the situation.
This also includes an "after-action investigation" of how officers handled the response to the hostage situation while the city’s Christmas parade was still happening Saturday night.
After receiving some concerns on social media from the public, the police department wrote in a Facebook post Sunday, "Rest assured that any concerns our citizens have translate into concerns we have. If any officers’ actions were unreasonable, they will be properly addressed."