JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The fatal shooting of two men by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office near the Jacksonville Zoo in 2022 has been deemed justifiable by the State Attorney's Office.
De'Shaun Lockett and Tyjarius Holton died as a result of the July 2022 incident, according to police records. Another passenger inside the vehicle was arrested.
According to the critical incident report put together by the State Attorney's Office, the officers involved "used force which they reasonably believed to be necessary to defend themselves or others from bodily harm."
JSO says the three suspects were involved in an incident leading to the initial officer involved shooting. A pursuit followed, ending with the suspect's vehicle crashing with three suspects inside.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office K-9 officer Huk was shot three times during the incident and eventually had to have a leg amputated.
The State Attorney's Office says during the afternoon of July 22, 2022, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers responded to a 911 call of shots fired at a house.
Neighbors told police they saw men shoot at the house and then speed off in a maroon Dodge Charger with a temporary tag. A Be on the Look Out or “BOLO” was issued for the Dodge Charger.
A JSO officer heard the “BOLO” and spotted a maroon Dodge Charger fitting the description and followed it.Officials say the driver, later identified as De’Shaun Antonio Lockett, got out of the Dodge Charger with his rifle and shot at the officer. Lockett then fled the scene.
Officers responded and officials say a high-speed chase ensued with Lockett hitting speeds of up to 97 mph. JSO says Lockett hit a car at the intersection of Zoo Parkway and Busch Drive, lost control, and crashed into a fence at the Jacksonville Zoo.
Officers reported seeing Lockett, still inside the Dodge Charger, trying to lift his automatic rifle. Thats when officials say the shooting took place, which killed Lockett and the backseat passenger, Tyjarius Holton.
A third passenger, Robert Motley, 33, was uninjured. He was later charged with possessing a controlled substance without a prescription.
The State Attorney's Office concluded that the officers’ use of deadly force was reasonable and justified.