Man killed during shooting at Florence PD

A Florence man was killed when officers returned fire after he fired shots at the city’s police department on Jan. 15.

According to Florence Police Chief Mike Holt, at approximately 5:30 p.m., an individual called 911, said he was at the police department and threatened to “shoot the place up.”

“Officers responded. He was armed. He did fire shots. Our officers returned fire. The suspect is deceased. None of our officers were injured in this incident,” Holt said during a press conference after the shooting.

The man, later identified as 33-year-old Jackson Paul Jones, was in the rear parking lot of the department at 702 S Seminary St.

When asked why the shooter dialed 911 before the incident, Holt said he had “no idea why he made that call.”

“It’s very close to home, but this is the world that we’re in,” Holt said. “You have to be prepared to deal with it no matter where it happens. Your officers do a very hard job. They are called to do very difficult things at times, and this is one of those times.

“Nobody wants this kind of outcome. It’s not what any officer wants to come to work and do, but they are prepared to do it. We make sure they are equipped and trained properly to be able to do that.”

Holt said some of the officers who responded to the call were inside the building, while others “came from everywhere” to assist, “which is normal when something like this happens.”

He said the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office will lead the investigation, and any further details will be provided by them.

It was the sheriff’s office that identified Jones as the shooter the day after the incident in a press release from Sheriff Joe Hamilton.

“When officers responded, they encountered Mr. Jones in the rear parking lot of the police department,” Hamilton said. “Jones exited the vehicle he was in, armed with a handgun, and began firing shots. One of the responding officers returned fire, striking Jones. Officers, along with responding fire and EMS units performed lifesaving measures on Jones. However, he passed away on scene. No officers were injured.

“Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Investigators were notified and responded to the scene. Investigators processed the scene and took possession of a handgun, cellphone and vehicle belonging to Jones. Mr. Jones was sent to state forensics to have an autopsy and toxicology performed.

“Over the course of the investigation, investigators will interview officers, review body camera footage as well as surveillance footage from the police department building and examine the cellphone and vehicle.  The findings of the investigation will be turned over to a Lauderdale County Grand Jury at a later date.”