In less than 12 hours, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office shot and killed two suspects: Jason Emerson, who fired at officers near the Motel 6 on Dunn Avenue, and Dylan Parker Thomas, who pointed a gun at an officer after an armed robbery in Mandarin.
Neither incident involved officers wearing body cameras.
JSO launched its body camera program about six weeks ago. The first phase put 250 body cameras in zones with the most crime.
The department will add 250 more every quarter until every officer has one, according to Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams.
"If you're wearing this uniform and a sergeant or rank below, you'll have a body camera when you come to work,” Williams said.
Last month, officer J.A. Ledyard who shot Tyrone Buckman was wearing a body camera, as were two others at the scene.
"There are different perspectives from different officers in different places,” said Ron Lendvay, Director of Investigations and Homeland Security.
In that incident, Buckman survived and is able to give his side of the story in addition to what the body cameras show -- perspectives that will be missing as the investigations into Wednesday’s deadly shootings continue.
JSO says it will take about two years for every officer in the department to be equipped with a body camera.