Drug bust leads to shooting death of three time convicted felon

Nassau County Sheriff’s Office
Bill Leeper, Sheriff
Press Release
May 29, 2020

 

“As officers approached and gave commands to stop the vehicle, he then placed the vehicle in reverse and accelerated rapidly toward one of the task force members, who is a police officer with the Fernandina Beach Police Department.”

At about 2 pm today, May 29, 2020, our Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics task force, which includes deputies from NCSO and officers from the Fernandina Beach Police Department, as well as other assisting federal agencies, came together in the parking lot at Casey’s Liquors on US-17 North of I-95 and just South of the Georgia border for a drug bust of an individual from Georgia who had been selling trafficking amounts of heroin and meth in Nassau County.

The suspect, and adult male, is a three time convicted felon. We will not be releasing his identity at this time as we are waiting on next of kin to be notified.

When the task force initiated an arrest the suspect attempted to flee in his vehicle and struck multiple vehicles and a mobile home behind the store.

As officers approached and gave commands to stop the vehicle, he then placed the vehicle in reverse and accelerated rapidly toward one of the task force members, who is a police officer with the Fernandina Beach Police Department.

That officer who will also not be named at this time fired his weapon and struck the suspect. Nassau County Fire/Rescue responded to the scene and pronounced the individual deceased.

FDLE and the state attorney’s office, both independent agencies, will investigate this shooting and the officer involved will be placed on administrative leave as is standard operating procedure for both agencies.

No officers were injured in the incident and only one officer fired his weapon.

I am not able to answer any other questions at this time as it is still under investigation.

I will refer any further questions to FDLE which will be the lead investigating agency.