A 26-year-old Gainesville man was shot by an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Deputy on July 3 after brandishing a firearm in a Butler Plaza parking lot, according to an ACSO social media post.
Tyrese Da’Jon Jones faces charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault and obstruction of justice following the incident near the Bonefish Grill and Firehouse Subs restaurants at 3221 SW 35th Place.
According to the ACSO social media post, Jones and a group of coworkers from Firehouse Subs visited Blue Springs earlier July 3 for a work outing. The group left the springs in two separate vehicles at about 2:40 p.m.
A short time later, a woman in one of the vehicles was flagged down by occupants of the second vehicle due to concerns about what was happening in their vehicle, the post says.
After both vehicles pulled over, Jones approached the woman’s vehicle and told one of her passengers to switch cars. Jones, according to the post, claimed that one of the passengers in the vehicle he was riding in was acting strangely. While switching vehicles, another vehicle stopped nearby. Jones then reportedly pointed a handgun at the vehicle and then ordered the woman behind the car he had switched to to start driving.
According to the ACSO post, Jones began to make “erratic and threatening statements.” A third person in the vehicle who was dropped off at a Gainesville apartment complex told law enforcement that Jones appeared paranoid and that he had ingested MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly on the streets).
After dropping off the third person and driving around Butler Plaza, Jones instructed the woman to take him to Firehouse Subs. Once at the restaurant, the woman was able to contact law enforcement just before 7 p.m. She informed officials that she had been held hostage by Jones for several hours.
“Deputies quickly responded and established a tactical and surveillance presence around the restaurant,” the social media post says.
At about 9:51 p.m., Jones exited the restaurant. Jones, according to the post, then pulled out a firearm, which resulted in him being shot by a deputy.
Jones suffered a “minor injury” and was treated at a local hospital. He was then transported to the Alachua County Jail.
As is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the incident. The deputy involved has been placed on paid administrative leave.
“We understand incidents like this are unsettling, and we want to reassure our community that the situation was resolved without harm to innocent bystanders. We’re grateful for the victim’s courage, the swift actions of our deputies, and the continued support of our community,” the ACSO post says.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: ACSO: Armed man shot by deputy near Bonefish Grill in Butler Plaza
Reporting by Staff report / The Gainesville Sun
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