JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WFLA) — A director with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says one person was injured in a shooting at point-blank range during a training class Wednesday morning.
Officials say ten Jacksonville sheriff’s officers and corrections officers were going through individual scenario-based training on use of force when the shooting happened. As part of the training, one of four instructors fire a blank to simulate an active shooter. Each student is armed with a soap-based projectile as ammunition and the instructors wear protective gear.
After the round was fired during one of the scenarios, the director says the involved student, a corrections officer, went up to the instructor and took the gun armed with blanks from his waistband. Officials say the student then placed the gun against the instructor’s back and fired.
There was no projectile in the gun, but officials say the force of the gunpowder is dangerous and penetrated the instructor’s skin.
The instructor was taken to the hospital, and is okay.
Officials say the instructor is a 25-year veteran and part-time Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office instructor.
The corrections officer has been with the sheriff’s office for five months.
