Two accused of shooting 18 times at undercover detectives

Two men are accused of trying to kill two undercover detectives in Jacksonville by shooting 18 times at their unmarked car.

Anthony E. Trotter, 22, and Ja’Von Brown, 23, are jailed without bail on charges of attempted murder, jail records show .

The detectives were working undercover when they saw a man walking on Florida Avenue at East 22nd Street. Seconds later, the man fired 18 shots at them in their car, then fled in a car driven by someone else.

The detectives were not seriously injured, although one had a laceration on an arm. But the officers could not fire back or chase the suspects, Sheriff T.K. Waters said during a news conference Thursday.

“Undercover detectives face particular dangers as they work to stop the flow of dangerous drugs and poisons that both injure our citizens through addiction, and fuel violence in our community,” Waters said. “These detectives were nearly killed just sitting in their car, for no reason at all. There was no engagement before the gunfire, no provocation of any kind.”

The sheriff showed video of the arrests during a news conference Thursday, as well as photos of bullet holes and dents in the detectives’ car. He also showed home security camera video of the gunman walking up to the shooting scene, then running away.

Waters would not identify the men’s gang or how SWAT and gang units, as well as others, found the suspects.

Trotter was arrested Sept. 26 and Brown on Wednesday, jail records show.

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