NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — The man who was barricaded in a home in the Wildlight community for six hours into early Friday morning is a Nassau County Sheriff’s Office deputy, the sheriff’s office confirmed.
Earice Ray Rhoden Jr., 49, is now facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and using a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to an NCSO arrest report.
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A statement from Sheriff Bill Leeper said a deputy responded to Wildlight just after 10 p.m. “in reference to a domestic dispute that involved another NCSO deputy who was off-duty at the time.”
Rhoden tried to leave the house “with a firearm after he had been drinking and had gotten into an altercation with a family member,” Leeper said.
“Earice then fired his weapon twice in an unknown direction,” according to an NCSO arrest warrant.
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The deputy who responded initially requested backup. The second deputy that arrived “stated Earice fired five (5) shots from his weapon that went over the top of his marked patrol vehicle along with two (2) follow-up shots towards the NCSO Drone that was flying over the residence,” the warrant said.
Earice Rhoden Jr. was spotted walking outside in the driveway and the second deputy “could see him holding a pistol along with a rifle slung around his neck,” the warrant said.
The deputy “engaged in a brief dialogue with Earice at which time Earice pointed his pistol at him then retreated into the garage.”
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Special Response Teams and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office assisted in taking Rhoden into custody, which happened around 5 a.m.
Wildlight Elementary sent a message out to parents early in the morning about the situation, which included a statement from Nassau County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kathy Burns:
“We just received notification from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office that the situation in the Wildlight community is resolved. So school activities at Wildlight Elementary School will resume as normal today. We apologize for any disruptions this may have caused, but we appreciate the cooperation with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office to ensure that everyone is safe. School is open today at Wildlight. Have a great day.”
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Here is the full statement from Sheriff Leeper on the incident:
“First and foremost, I would like to say we here at the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office are a family and to hear that one of our deputies was involved in a situation like this is deeply saddening. On August 31, 2023, just after 10:00 p.m. one of our deputies responded to the Wildlight Community in reference to a domestic dispute that involved another NCSO deputy who was off duty at the time. 49-year-old Earice Ray Rhoden attempted to leave the residence with a firearm after he had been drinking and had gotten into an altercation with a family member. When we arrived on scene to try and de-escalate the situation, Rhoden fired shots in an unknown direction. That’s when our responding deputy called for backup and our Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team (SRT) and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Special Weapons & Tactics (S.W.A.T) responded to the scene. Shortly after, Rhoden was taken into custody and there were no injuries reported. I am thankful this incident was resolved peacefully and no one was hurt. Deputies are human and struggle with issues just like many others in our society. There are several programs that the sheriff’s office offers for our employees in order to get the help that they need and we encourage anyone to reach out if they need it. At this time Rhoden has been suspended without pay.”
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