Jacksonville Sheriff attends political rally hours after 14th JSO shooting of 2026

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters attended a Republican gubernatorial victory rally in Orlando on Tuesday evening, hours after the 14th officer-involved shooting of 2026 in Duval County — breaking his established pattern of personally briefing media after such incidents.

Waters appeared at the campaign event for Byron Donalds, who won the Republican nomination for Florida governor with President Donald Trump's endorsement. Donalds acknowledged Waters from the stage during his victory speech, and News4JAX, a First Coast Observer reporting partner, spoke with the sheriff at the event.

What happened

The latest Jacksonville Sheriff's Office shooting occurred Tuesday, August 18, when a JSO sergeant was pulled from his vehicle and shot at by a suspect. The sergeant returned fire, according to Waters' account to reporters in Orlando. JSO Chief Michael Paul conducted the media briefing in Jacksonville while Waters was out of town.

When asked why he chose to attend the political event rather than the shooting briefing, Waters told News4JAX: "I needed a couple of days off. This is a good way to take them. My wife and I never get away from home very much so we decided needed since we got an invitation. This would be an opportunity to take a vacation and get back fresh and go back to work."

Waters has made attending officer-involved shooting briefings a hallmark of his tenure as sheriff. The 14th such incident in eight months represents a significant increase in frequency compared to typical years, though JSO has not released comparative statistics for previous years.

Donalds, a former U.S. Representative, is positioned to become Florida's first Black governor if he wins the general election. He received Trump's backing in the Republican primary.

Political crosscurrents and law enforcement funding

The timing of Waters' appearance highlights growing tension between Florida sheriffs and a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. Amendment 3 would eliminate homestead property taxes — a proposal championed by current Governor Ron DeSantis but opposed by multiple local law enforcement agencies and the Florida Sheriff's Association.

Donalds addressed the amendment directly during his Tuesday victory speech, shouting out Waters immediately after discussing it. "If the amendment passes, [I] will not jeopardize funding for police, firefighters, and first responders because they have our backs and we have theirs," Donalds said.

The concern among law enforcement leaders centers on how cities and counties would replace lost property-tax revenue, which typically funds a substantial portion of police and sheriff's office budgets. In Florida's consolidated city-county governments like Jacksonville, property taxes are a primary revenue source for municipal services including JSO.

Randy Reaves, president of the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police, told News4JAX the potential budget impact could be "severe" for Jacksonville. "Our concerns are that big of a budget cut for us here. We do believe that that could directly affect public safety and the work that our men and women do on a daily basis," Reaves said.

The Florida Sheriff's Association has publicly warned that eliminating homestead property taxes without a replacement revenue mechanism could force cuts to law enforcement staffing, equipment, and operations across the state's 67 counties.

Sheriff's selective political engagement

Waters has carefully navigated political waters during his tenure, selectively weighing in on ballot measures while avoiding most legislative debates. In 2024, he publicly opposed a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older in Florida. That amendment failed.

However, when News4JAX asked Waters last month about Amendment 3's potential impact on JSO's budget, the sheriff's office declined comment, stating: "The Sheriff does not comment on pending legislation. That is why we recommend reaching out to the FOP."

At Tuesday's event, Waters reiterated that position when asked again. "I usually stay out of legislation proposals," he said. "That's something for people that make those rules. Do my best to stay out of that stuff and enforce what they tell me to enforce."

The distinction Waters draws appears to be between ballot initiatives (which he has addressed) and legislative proposals (which he avoids). Amendment 3, despite being a constitutional amendment that would affect his agency's funding, falls into the category he has chosen not to discuss publicly, even as he attended a campaign event where the candidate explicitly addressed it.

Questions about optics and precedent

Waters' appearance at a partisan political event while his agency investigates an active officer-involved shooting raises questions about the traditional separation many law enforcement executives maintain from political campaigns. Florida sheriffs are elected officials who run on party tickets, but many avoid high-profile campaign appearances, particularly during active investigations or crises.

The decision to have Chief Paul conduct the shooting briefing while Waters attended a political rally marks a departure from the sheriff's established practice of personally addressing media and the public after use-of-force incidents — a practice that builds public accountability and transparency.

Under Florida law, sheriffs are constitutional officers elected countywide and serve four-year terms. They have broad discretion in managing their offices and their public schedules. Waters is not up for reelection until 2027, as he was first elected in 2023.

The broader context of JSO shootings

The 14th officer-involved shooting of 2026 continues a pattern that has drawn attention from community groups and police accountability advocates. Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is one of Florida's largest law enforcement agencies, serving a consolidated city-county of roughly 950,000 residents across 747 square miles.

Officer-involved shooting investigations in Florida typically follow a multi-agency protocol: JSO's internal affairs and the State Attorney's Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit review the incident to determine whether criminal charges are warranted and whether the use of force complied with department policy. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement may also participate in investigations involving serious use of force.

These reviews typically take weeks to months. Public release of body-camera footage and detailed investigative findings follows timelines set by state law and prosecutor discretion, balancing transparency with protecting the integrity of potential criminal proceedings.

What happens next

The investigation into Tuesday's officer-involved shooting will proceed through JSO's internal review process and the State Attorney's assessment of whether the use of force was legally justified. The sergeant involved is typically placed on administrative leave pending the outcome, per standard JSO protocol.

Amendment 3 will appear on Florida's November 2026 general-election ballot. If it passes, the Legislature would need to address how local governments replace homestead property-tax revenue or accept cuts to services including law enforcement. Donalds' pledge not to jeopardize public-safety funding would require legislative action to create alternative revenue sources — likely sales taxes, fees, or state budget transfers.

Sheriff Waters returned to Jacksonville following the Orlando event. As Northeast Florida continues to grow — Duval County added an estimated 12,000 residents in 2025 alone — questions about adequate law enforcement staffing, use-of-force policies, and budget sustainability remain at the center of public-safety debates across the region. How elected sheriffs balance their operational responsibilities, political roles, and public accountability will continue to shape those conversations.