The Jacksonville Sheriff stopped a theft in progress, which included a foot chase and struggle before arresting the suspect.
At a hardware store on Atlantic Boulevard, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters was picking up an order at customer service when a store employee flagged him down. A man was attempting to leave the store with roughly $500 in merchandise.
Sheriff Waters and a retired robbery detective chased the man. When the Sheriff tried to grab him by his sweatshirt, the man twisted away. The Sheriff pursued him to the edge of the parking lot, where he took him to the ground.
The man struggled to get away and resisted, but with the help of the retired detective, they were able to get him into handcuffs as shoppers cheered them on.
“Just because I was elected sheriff doesn’t mean I’m no longer a policeman,” said Sheriff Waters, who also recently cited a teenager for littering.
District 2 Patrol officers responded quickly and took over the investigation. The suspect has been identified as 40-year-old Raymond Pena, Jr. of Jacksonville. According to local law enforcement, he was charged with theft and resisting. He also had two active warrants for theft.
The Sheriff and detective were not injured in the scuffle. Sheriff Waters says he will always do what he can to protect the city.
