JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Through tears, the parents of the man who was shot and killed by police Tuesday night in the parking lot of Baptist Health South spoke with First Coast News about their son's mental state at the time of the incident.
Jeffrey Alan Martin, 38, was killed after he reportedly shot an officer in the face.
His mother and father, who did not want to appear on camera, said that he was a good boy who was going through some mental health struggles. They explained to First Coast News he was fighting depression and that he leaves behind two young children.
Records show Martin has never faced criminal charges within Duval County, and only has a history of traffic violations.
His mother says she wrote a letter to the officer who was shot, expressing her condolences and said that she was thinking of him.
Law enforcement sources previously confirmed to First Coast News that Taylor Smith is the officer who was shot. The officer remains hospitalized and continues on the road to recovery.
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, Sheriff TK Waters said. The person drove off, and the officer was instructed to not chase him.
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.