JACKSONVILLE, FL – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released new details Tuesday about a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred Monday evening in the Ponce Boulevard area near New Berlin Road in Jacksonville, FL (Duval County).
Sheriff T.K. Waters and Chief Alan Parker said the incident happened around 6:30 p.m. as District 6 Task Force officers were working to arrest a suspect tied to a stolen vehicle case and multiple business burglaries. Officers were searching for William Lowe, who had active warrants issued on December 24. After setting up surveillance at a residence for about an hour, officers observed Lowe get into the passenger side of a vehicle.
Officers conducted a stop and approached the car from both sides. As one officer began taking Lowe into custody, another officer moved to the driver’s side to speak with the driver and instructed him to turn off the vehicle. According to investigators, the driver refused to comply and began resisting. A physical struggle followed after the officer pulled the driver from the vehicle, with both ending up on the ground.
During the fight, the driver allegedly pulled out a handgun. Body-worn camera footage, which has not yet been released publicly, reportedly captured the officer yelling “gun, gun, gun.” The officer then drew his service weapon and fired one shot, striking the driver in the head.
The driver was identified as 46-year-old Alan Rush. He was pronounced dead at the scene. JSO released Rush’s most recent mugshot from a 2023 arrest, along with a photo of the firearm investigators say he pulled on the officer. Authorities said Rush was a convicted felon with more than a dozen prior local arrests, many involving narcotics.
Investigators also reported finding a large quantity of drugs inside the vehicle believed to belong to Rush, including approximately 70 grams of crack cocaine, 15 grams of powder cocaine, 133 grams of methamphetamine, 19 grams of marijuana, pills, and an unknown powder.
Family members of Rush have raised questions after video surfaced showing him motionless on the ground while handcuffed. Chief Parker addressed those concerns, explaining that officers are trained to secure and handcuff a suspect even if they appear unresponsive or injured. He said officers must first ensure the scene is safe and cannot immediately determine whether a suspect is still alive.
The officer who fired the shot was identified as Officer Zachary Jennings, an eight-year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. This was his first officer-involved shooting. He has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure.
This marks the 17th officer-involved shooting involving JSO in 2025. The State Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent investigation into the incident, after which the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will complete its own administrative review.
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