Police use of force and officer-involved shootings in Jacksonville have remained a focal point of debate in recent years, with civil rights advocates pointing to racial disparities, lawsuits and internal investigations involving the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Data from the sheriff’s office and media reviews show that Jacksonville recorded multiple officer-involved shootings each year over the past five years. In 2024, the department reported eight police shootings during the year, and the city had already recorded five shootings in the first three months of 2025, the highest early-year total since 2016.
Earlier reporting found that 12 police-involved shootings occurred in 2022, including eight that were fatal, reflecting one of the city’s highest totals in a decade.
Beyond shootings, internal data show hundreds of confrontations each year in which officers use force. A review of Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office “Response to Resistance” reports found officers used force 3,333 times in 2,225 incidents between 2015 and 2019, with physical force and tasers the most common methods. In 2019 alone, officers used force 878 times, injuring hundreds of people during encounters with police.
Studies and police reports have repeatedly highlighted racial disparities in those incidents. Black residents have historically accounted for a disproportionate share of those affected. In some recent years, 40% to 57% of people shot by police in Jacksonville were Black, according to a regional disparities report.
Earlier databases also found that over a longer period, Black residents made up about three-quarters of people shot by Jacksonville police, despite representing roughly 30% of the city’s population. Similarly, sheriff’s office statistics show that more than half of people involved in use-of-force incidents were Black males.
Internal affairs records show complaints of unnecessary force are rarely sustained. A News4Jax investigation found the sheriff’s office sustained two complaints in 2024, one in 2023 and none in 2022, despite hundreds of allegations.
Police officials have said many complaints are dismissed after body-camera footage or evidence shows officers acted within department policy.
Several civil lawsuits alleging excessive force have resulted in settlements paid by the city. In one case, Jacksonville agreed to a $200,000 settlement tied to a fatal 2019 police shooting, a case that later prompted new legislation requiring the sheriff’s approval for certain legal settlements involving officers. Another lawsuit over alleged misconduct and wrongful arrest resulted in a $45,000 settlement in 2025 after charges were dropped against a Navy veteran. A separate excessive-force lawsuit cited by a federal judge described a pattern of incidents over many years and ended with a settlement of more than $92,000 for the plaintiff.
Jacksonville isn’t the only city that draws attention. Across Florida, police shootings remain a issue. Data compiled from national databases show 81 fatal police shootings statewide in 2023 and about 70 in 2024, making it one of the deadliest recent periods.
Long-term analyses also indicate racial disparities statewide. In Florida, Black residents were about 2.4 times more likely than white residents to be killed by police from 2013 through 2023.
Locally groups continue to call for reform. Most recently, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee and a coalition of families, whose loved ones have been hurt/ killed by JSO excessive force, rallied and held a vigil at James Weldon John Park to remember their lost loved ones along with demanding policy changes to JSO.
The families of Charles Faggart, Rashaud Martin, Devon Gregory, Reginald Boston Jr, Will McNeil Jr. and other families negatively impacted by police violence in Jacksonville stood beside each other in solidarity remembering their loved ones.
The families are calling for justice for their lost loved ones, answers and accountability. Among their call to actions are community control of the police through civilian oversight and a meeting with Mayor Donna Deegan so she can hear their stories along with hear their concerns regarding police violence in Jacksonville.
Civil rights groups say the numbers demonstrate the need for stronger oversight, training and transparency. Law-enforcement leaders counter that many shootings involve armed suspects or volatile situations, including domestic violence calls and mental-health crises.
The debate continues in Jacksonville as community activists, city leaders and police officials weigh reforms aimed at balancing officer safety with accountability and public trust.