CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County deputies are on the scene Thursday of a person armed with a gun who barricaded himself inside a vehicle near Oakleaf Baptist Church, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said.
Sheriff Michelle Cook said deputies responded to a call about a potentially armed person and found the vehicle backed into a roadway and a person sitting inside. As a deputy approached, the person displayed a weapon and the deputy retreated, Cook said. A perimeter was then established.
SWAT and negotiator teams are at the scene attempting to persuade the person to surrender peacefully, the sheriff’s office said.
Oakleaf Baptist Church is placed on lockdown and people inside — including a small number of children at an on-site daycare — are sheltering in place while deputies remain on site and families were notified.
Officials said only a few people were asked to leave the immediate area and there were no widespread evacuations.
Oakleaf Plantation Parkway is closed between Ivory Crossing and Eagle Landing Parkway because of the police activity; drivers are asked to avoid the area.
“We are going to bring this to a successful resolution,” Cook, and asked residents to avoid the area and to follow deputies’ instructions if contacted.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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