A career criminal with a history of selling drugs, beating women, and resisting police was ordered held without bail Thursday on charges of shooting a Jacksonville, Fla., police officer in a gun battle that started during a traffic stop Wednesday night, reports the Florida Times-Union.
Circuit Judge James Ruth spent about 10 minutes Thursday afternoon asking a prosecutor to outline the accusations against Donald Lee Goins, 33, who is accused of shooting Officer J. Andrew Benson in the upper right arm. The five-year police veteran and father of two young children, was recovering at home Thursday.
The traffic stop Wednesday occurred about 5:30 p.m. on Edison Avenue, off McDuff Avenue just north of Interstate 10, after Benson noticed a motorist driving without his seat belt. The vehicle continued a few blocks and turned onto Cherokee Street before stopping, Undersheriff Dwain Senterfitt said.
As Benson was getting out of his patrol car, he noticed the driver fidgeting inside his vehicle. The driver suddenly began firing from his window, hitting Benson in the arm as he returned fire while taking cover in his patrol car. The suspect drove off as Benson got back out of his car and fired another volley.
