A Police Confrontation Leaves One Man Dead
Early Christmas Eve a North Jacksonville man died after he had a “combative” confrontation with officers, said the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
41-year-old Marcus Dushane White died after being taken to UF Heath Jacksonville following the 12:20 a.m. incident.
According to The Florida Times-Union, authorities were called to a gas station for a man bleeding from “obvious injuries” and knocking over displays. When officers arrived White was gone, but then found walking in the middle of Golfair Boulevard near the Interstate 95 southbound ramp.
“The subject was acting irrationally and became combative as officers tried to escort him from the roadway for everybody’s safety,” Sheriff’s Office Director Ron Lendvay said at the scene Saturday morning to The Florida Times-Union. “When the officers tried to handcuff him to de-escalate the situation, he further resisted and was taken to the ground on the side of the road in the grass.”
Lendvay told The Florida Times-Union that White was shirtless and sweaty and tried to open the door of a car that was stopped at a red light. He then tried to get into a second car across the street, but both cars sped away.
Officers J.D. Tunnell and C.L. Labrador were able to coax White into the median to get him out of the roadway, police said. He had visible injuries on his body and was bleeding so the officers called for a city rescue unit. The officers said once they got him on the grass he became combative and would not cooperate, said Lendvay to The Florida Times-Union.
“A physical confrontation ensued and then the officers had to administer the hobble restraint,” the incident report, obtained by The Florida Times-Union, states.
Despite efforts to save him White died at UF Health Jacksonville. Staff at the hospital found a small plastic bag containing white powder on him, which field tested positive for cocaine, said Lendvay.
At this time it is unclear where White received the cuts and bruises that were seen on his body. No weapons and no Tasers or other “impact weapons” were used during the struggle to restrain him, said Lendvay.
The cause of White’s death is unknown for now. The Sheriff’f Office’s Homicide Cold Case Unit is investigating the case.
According to jail records, White was arrested in September 2006 for violation of parole and possession of cocaine, and again a year later for possession of a controlled substance. In June of this year he was arrested again for violation of parole, per court records.
