Jacksonville officer is shot with airsoft pistol and returns fire critically wounding man

A sheriff's officer critically wounded a knife-wielding man after he charged at him and shot him with what turned out to be an airsoft pistol early Sunday during an arson investigation at a North Jacksonville home, according to Chief Alan Parker.

Timothy James O' Donohue, 39, was shot three times in the legs about 4:45 a.m. outside a home in the 14300 block of Boney Road, Parker told reporters at the scene. He didn't say whether the officer needed medical attention, but no other injuries were reported.

This was the Sheriff's Office's eighth shooting of a suspect, six of whom died, according to Times-Union records. Last year 12 people were shot by Jacksonville police, eight fatally.

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Parker said the shooting evolved from incidents involving O'Donohue beginning Saturday night at the home where he was staying as a guest.

About 11:15 p.m. O'Donohue contacted police about a human trafficking complaint. Eight minutes later he called back and reported a burglary in progress saying "there were people digging under the front yard in an attempt to get into the residence," Parker said.

Officers responded and talked to both the homeowner and O'Donohue.

"It was determined that O'Donohue was "going through some type of mental episode, potentially off his medications. Everything was determined to be OK and none of that other stuff was actually happening and in progress so they were able to leave the scene," Parker said.

Parker said about 4:30 a.m. Sunday, police then received a call from the homeowner about an arson in progress.

"The suspect was trying to burn the house down. He had lit a curtain inside the house on fire and was burning that upon her phone call," Parker said.

When police and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue personnel arrived at the house, O'Donohue was pacing back and forth on the front porch. The arriving officer was alerted by dispatchers and the woman in the home that O'Donohue was armed with a knife, Parker said.

The officer told the man to keep his distance and stay back and drop the knife. Instead he then picked up what turned out to be an airsoft pistol, the chief said.

"It looks real. The tip had been painted black," Parker said.

He said the man then advanced on the officer with both the knife and pistol.

"As he is advancing the officer is keeping his distance, telling him to drop the gun, drop the knife, stay back," Parker said. "He comes around the side of a car and continues to advance. Meanwhile, the lady [homeowner] is yelling and it sounds like she is advising it's an airsoft gun. But "obviously the officer had not confirmed that yet" and O'Donohue still had the knife and was advancing, he said.

Parker said after an undetermined amount of time O'Donohue "fires the airsoft and strikes the officer." The officer returned fire, hitting O'Donohue three times in the legs/lower extremities.

Officers then rendered emergency aid until medical personnel rushed him to the hospital, Parker said.

This was the officer's first shooting and because he invoked Marsy's Law, the Sheriff's Office didn't release his name.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville police shoot man brandishing knife, airsoft gun