Jacksonville police fatally shoots stabbing suspect who killed a man and dog

The suspect in a fatal stabbing was shot by a Jacksonville Sheriff's officer as police tried to apprehend him Sunday, according to Sheriff T.K. Waters.

Police responded to the scene of a stabbing at Pickett Street and Edgewood Avenue West at 4:40 p.m.

Jolene Bowlus says she was eating dinner on her porch with her best friend, James Hoffman, when a young man came walking up the driveway.

"He asked me if I knew this girl named Pam. I said 'no,' He said 'you're a liar' and he went bam, next thing I know I was lying on the ground," said Bowlus.

Bowlus says she was hit in the head so hard it briefly knocked her out, but when she came to, her friend had jumped up to help.

"That's when he started stabbing James," said Bowlus. "My little dog was barking, so he picked her up and killed her."

Bowlus says she ran while calling for help.

Police found a man who had apparently been stabbed to death in the yard of a home in the 7600 block of Pickett Street.

Police said the officer gave the suspect "loud commands" to show his hands multiple times.

"The suspect did not comply and stood up in an aggressive manner," said Director of Investigations Mark Romano. "The officer tased the suspect, but it was not effective at that time. The suspect then grabbed a large, metal bucket and ran toward our officer. Our officer fired his weapon multiple times."

The Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department responded to the scene and took the suspect to the hospital, where he later died.

The officer suffered a minor injury to his arm after Romano says the suspect threw the bucket at him.

Bowlus believes if her best friend didn't jump up to intervene when she got hit, she wouldn't be alive to tell his story.

"He's a hero. He died a hero."