Jacksonville, Florida — On July 8, 2023, around 11:15 p.m. 39-year-old Timothy James 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,”. 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,”. On Sunday, July 9, 2023, around 4:30 a.m., 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,”. 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. 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,”. 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,”. “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. 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. This was the officer’s first shooting and because he invoked Marsy’s Law, the Sheriff’s Office didn’t release his name.
News by Breaking911
