LOCAL

Jacksonville police name suspect killed by police

Scott Butler
sbutler@jacksonville.com
Florida Times-Union

A Jacksonville police officer shot and killed a 61-year-old suspect who became combative after crashing a vehicle on Butler Boulevard early Tuesday, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Chief T.K. Waters said John Allen Dunaway III said he had a gun and would not stay down after the officer used a Taser on him.

Dunaway, whose address is listed in records as Ponte Vedra Beach, was the city’s 10th suspect shot by Jacksonville police this year with six dead, according to Times-Union records. Nine suspects were shot all of last year, six also dead. Ten suspects shot is the highest total since 2015 and the next highest was 15 in 2009.

RELATED | Read more Jacksonville-area crime news

Waters said it began with a single-vehicle crash shortly after 3 a.m. on eastbound Butler at Hodges Boulevard. Officer B. Ondriezek arrived and was checking on Dunaway when the suspect attacked him and said he had a gun.

“They began a conversation. How’s he doing? Is he feeling OK. Then for an unknown reason, that gentleman attacked our officer,” Waters said.

Ondriezek disengaged from him and used a Taser on him twice, the chief said. The suspect was briefly incapacitated but got up and ran toward his vehicle. He was still saying he had a gun, prompting the officer to fire two shots killing him, Waters said.

The chief did not say if a weapon was found. It also wasn’t clear if the suspect had been injured in the crash or where he had been at that hour. A preliminary look into court records in Duval and St. Johns counties does not show a criminal history for the 61-year-old.

Ondriezek has been with the Sheriff’s Office for one year and this was his first police shooting, Waters said.

Butler Boulevard was shut down until about 9 a.m. for the investigation.

Scott Butler: (904) 359-4566