A suspect being taken into custody on Wednesday night in the Bonefish Grill parking lot drew a firearm on an Alachua County Sheriff’s deputy, who in turn shot the suspect.
According to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) release, deputies were on scene at 3237 SW 35th Blvd. in Gainesville at 6:57 p.m. when they received a call from a woman reporting she had been held hostage for several hours by a known acquaintance, later identified as Tyrese Da’Jon Jones, 26.
Deputies responded and established a surveillance presence around Firehouse Subs in Butler Plaza. During the incident, it was reported that individuals inside the restaurant who were familiar with the suspect warned law enforcement he was outside.
Around 9:51 p.m., Jones exited the business when, during the encounter, he drew a firearm, which resulted in a deputy discharging his weapon, that struck the suspect. Jones sustained a minor injury and was treated at a local hospital. No bystanders or deputies were injured during the incident.
Jones was released from the hospital and was charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault and obstruction of justice. He is being held in the Alachua County Jail.
According to the release, the alleged kidnapping incident occurred earlier in the day when the victim said she and Jones were part of a group of coworkers from Firehouse Subs who traveled to Blue Springs for an outing in two vehicles. The group started their return to Gainesville around 2:40 p.m., but shortly before leaving the springs, the victim was flagged down by the occupants of the second vehicle due to concerns about their vehicle.
When the victim pulled over, Jones approached the victim’s vehicle and instructed one of her passengers to switch cars. He claimed that the other occupants of the vehicle were acting strangely. As the switch occurred, another vehicle pulled over across the road and, at that moment, Jones reportedly produced a handgun, pointed it toward the other vehicle and ordered the victim to drive.
During the drive, Jones allegedly made erratic and threatening statements, including claims that people were after him, that if “they” didn’t kill the victim, he would, and that he would kill her and then himself. A third individual who was in the vehicle with Jones and the victim was later dropped off at an apartment complex in Gainesville. That person confirmed that the Jones appeared paranoid and claimed to have ingested MDMA, also known as “beans,” a stimulant and hallucinogen, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website.
Jones then ordered the victim to drive around the Butler Plaza area before requesting to be taken to Firehouse Subs at 3221 SW 35th Blvd. This is when the victim was able to contact law enforcement.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will conduct an independent investigation of the deputy-involved shooting, per standard protocol. The deputy involved in the incident was placed on paid administrative leave.