JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA: A bodycam footage showed a Florida officer getting shot in the throat while he attempted to put down an armed heedless driver in a hospital parking lot. Jeffrey Alan Martin, 38, was identified as the man behind the wheel of a white Chevy Impala at the Baptist Medical Center South in Jacksonville. At around 9.30 pm on April 18, he died after being hit by a hail of bullets.
Martin was shot and killed after causing extensive damage in the hospital parking lot and prompting officers to shoot him shortly before he shot the officer, identified as Taylor Smith. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Department released the harrowing footage, which shows the moment the officer screams in agony, "I've been shot."
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What did the authorities recover?
A handgun was recovered by the authorities from Martin's car, along with an AK-47 and three loaded magazines. Police received a complaint about Martin after he was initially seen in the parking lot staying put around the hospital security.
What happened in the parking lot?
Martin was noticed by an off-duty officer working at the hospital while he was circling the parking lot in his car. Several other officers were immediately called to the scene. The bodycam footage showed the first police officer getting out of his patrol car and approaching Martin, who rolled his window down.
The suspect shouted, "Shoot it" while holding a pistol when the officer ordered Martin to get out of the car. Martin then shot through the passenger's window while he drove up to the officer's car before he sped off. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Other officers soon arrived in the parking lot and tried to corner Martin off to the side but failed. The suspect had no way to go after, he rammed into the front of another patrol car but was blocked by the police on all sides with their patrol cars. Five officers quickly surrounded Martin's car and ordered him to get out of his vehicle to which he responded, "No."
Police held their fire while Smith slowly approached Martin's passenger door. Within a few seconds, Martin shot from his handgun and Smith returned a few as well which led other officers to follow his lead. "I've been shot," Smith shouted as another officer tried to remove him from the line of fire.
Martin was declared dead at the scene. Police recovered his handgun from under his thigh. Smith was taken to a local hospital and is now in a critical condition.
'Hope no other officers were hurt'
People also reacted to the incident. One YouTube user commented, "I' ’m glad that pos is gone, and I hope the officer that was shot is and will be ok. I also hope no other officers were hurt." Another wrote, "I hope the officer makes a full recovery." One said, "Glad to see Martin finally get out of the hood. Not gonna be on a beach, but sure will be warm!" while another commented, "With Martin's location, behavior, and weapons, they may have stopped an active shooter situation. Why else would he be continually driving in circles around a hospital with an AK and a butt load of ammo??" "Except for the wounded officer, I think the outcome was perfect. I think he may have been getting his nerve up to go into the hospital and do harm," wrote one.
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