8-year-old unharmed as Jacksonville police shoot and kill fleeing suspect

Scott Butler, Florida Times-Union
·2 min read
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Update: On Saturday, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office identified the man killed as 38-year-old Eric Nathaniel Thornton. The Sheriff's Office also released photographs of a hunting knife that police said Thornton had in his hand when shot. He also was armed with a box cutter-style knife when killed, the Sheriff's Office said.

The Sheriff's Office's first police shooting in 2023 resulted in one man dead, another in custody and an 8-year-old child unharmed at least physically.

Chief Mark Romano said narcotics detectives were conducting surveillance Thursday on a known drug dealer who was with another man in a vehicle in an apartment complex parking lot in the 13200 block of North Main Street. They observed multiple drug transactions and attempted to block the vehicle to take the suspect into custody about 5:45 p.m.

The driver tried to run away and had a large knife in his hand, Romano said. Officers wearing tactical vests identifying themselves as police gave multiple commands for him to drop the knife. But he did not and instead turned toward them, and two officers shot him multiple times, the chief said. He did not survive.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's office said a man later identified as Eric Nathaniel Thornton, 38, had this knife in his hand as well and had a multi-tool knife when police shot and killed him Thursday, Jan. 19, during a narcotics investigation.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's office said a man later identified as Eric Nathaniel Thornton, 38, had this knife in his hand as well and had a multi-tool knife when police shot and killed him Thursday, Jan. 19, during a narcotics investigation.

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Romano said the other initial suspect was located and taken into custody without incident, and the 8-year-old was found in the vehicle. The child's relationship was not released, nor were any of the names of the others involved.

That suspect was 29-year-old Brian Gregory Brightman. Jail records show he was charged with selling fentanyl, child abuse, unlawful use of a two-way communication device and keeping a vehicle to store and sell drugs.

The boy was his son and was with him in another vehicle during a March 2022 drug arrest that included a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Jacksonville police shot and killed eight suspects last year and four others who survived, according to Times-Union records. In 2021, three suspects were killed by officers and four others were wounded. In 2020, eight suspects died in 14 police shootings in the city and one other was deemed self-inflicted.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville sheriff's officers shoot and kill driver of drug suspect