The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reports that Alan Rush engaged in a confrontation with Officer Zachary Jennings, during which Rush brandished a firearm, leading to Jennings’ use of lethal force. This incident marks the 17th officer-involved shooting for the department in 2025.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Following the fatal shooting of a family friend by a Jacksonville officer during a warrant arrest in Oceanway, a local man is advocating for a reassessment of police force protocols.
“There’s no justification for someone to be shot and killed,” expressed Travis Harris.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, officers from District 6 task force were dispatched to Ponce Boulevard near New Berlin Road on Monday evening with the intent to arrest William Lowe. Lowe was allegedly linked to a stolen vehicle and multiple business burglaries.
The deputies conducted surveillance at a residence and observed Lowe departing the home and entering the passenger side of a car driven by his associate, 46-year-old Alan Rush, as reported by the department.
Subsequently, officers conducted a traffic stop. Lowe adhered to their instructions and was apprehended without any issues.
Chief Alan Parker spoke during a briefing about the details.
“He did what he was told, nothing happened,” Parker said.
JSO says the situation escalated on the driver’s side of the car.
Investigators say Officer Zachary Jennings approached Rush in the driver’s seat and ordered him out of the vehicle.
Rush did not comply and began physically fighting with the officer, Parker said.
“The other one that decided to fight and produced a handgun, he made his own decisions,” Parker said.
JSO says during that struggle, Rush pulled out a gun, prompting Jennings to shoot him in the head.
Lowe’s half-brother, Travis Harris, says he watched it unfold. Harris said Rush rolled his window halfway down and put both hands outside before officers pulled him from the car.
“They snatched him out and he went to the ground,” Harris said. “Then I looked over at this cop coming across here, running across my yard. I hear ‘pop.’ I turned back around. He’s on the ground in handcuffs, already shot.”
According to JSO, Rush was a convicted felon with more than a dozen local arrests for narcotics and other charges, and investigators say they found suspected narcotics believed to be his in the car
Harris acknowledged his brother’s criminal record, saying Lowe has “been in and out of prison his whole life” and “ran and ran and ran,” but said that does not justify how Rush died.
First Coast News crime and safety expert Mark Baughman said high-risk warrant operations are inherently dangerous and that agencies typically bring extra manpower when dealing with felony suspects or people with violent histories.
“If the individual is a known violent or has the potential to be a violent felon, or in this case it’s a felony warrant, you want to be able to have enough resources and manpower out there to address that issue when you execute the warrant,” Baughman said. “To me, it looks like it’s a justifiable shooting.”
Harris disagrees. He believes officers rely too quickly on deadly force and wants to see changes in training and equipment.
“Something needs to be done about all this police shooting,” he said. “They don’t need to shoot to kill. Let them serve their time.”
JSO says the shooting is its 17th officer-involved shooting of the year, and the State Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent investigation into the incident.
