Culver's continued with business as usual Thursday evening. Photo by Ashley Chandler/News-Leader
A person suspected of stealing a vehicle has died after a concealed weapon went off while he was in the back of a Nassau County Sheriff’s Office patrol car in Yulee, the agency said Thursday.
Shortly after noon on Thursday, NCSO deputies interacted with a suspect and a vehicle reported stolen at Culver’s in Yulee, off State Road 200. The suspect was detained and placed in handcuffs. The agency said it appeared the suspect had a concealed firearm that fired inside the back of the patrol vehicle, resulting in a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The sheriff’s office said it will conduct an internal review, determine whether any policy violations occurred and take “appropriate action” following the investigation.
Nassau County Fire Rescue responded and provided aid, but the suspect had already succumbed to their injuries, the sheriff’s office said. The deputy involved was not injured, the release continued.
The suspect was wanted out of Southwest Florida for stealing a vehicle and had traveled north into Nassau County, the sheriff’s office said.
The information is preliminary and the investigation is ongoing, the release said. The agency said no further information was available Thursday.