JSO: Man shot by officers after stabbing construction worker, charging at officer with knife

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — UPDATE: Benjamin Kubi was booked into Duval County jail at 5:18 a.m. Wednesday and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and currently has no bond.

A Jacksonville man was in critical condition at the hospital after being shot by two officers Tuesday night. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office identified the 39-year-old suspect as Benjamin Kubi. Police said he drove up to a construction worker who was directing traffic through a construction site at 10:42 p.m. at Interstate 295 and N. Main Street.

Kubi got out of his vehicle and stabbed the construction worker with a knife, JSO said at a news conference at the crime scene Wednesday morning. The construction worker ran to his supervisor and said he was stabbed. The supervisor called to an off-duty Jacksonville officer who was working at the location and said, “‘Hey, that guy just stabbed our worker,’” JSO said.

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The off-duty officer chased Kubi in her vehicle in what JSO described as a short car chase. Another nearby Jacksonville officer joined the chase. After about four miles, Kubi got out of his car in the 400 block of Duval Station Road and the officers ordered him to get on the ground and show his hands, JSO said.

Kubi didn’t comply with the officers' commands and the off-duty officer attempted to Tase him, “but it wasn’t affective,” JSO said. Kubi then charged at one of the officers with the knife and they both shot him, police said.

Police said they didn’t believe Kubi knew the construction worker and the stabbing seemed random. Police said the worker was “OK.”

Suspect known to JSO

Alan Parker, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Chief of Investigations, said Kubi was known to JSO for what he did in October. That’s when police said Kubi pulled up to an officer who was working a traffic crash. “He did the finger thing and said ‘you’re a dead man,‘“ Parker said making his hand in the form of a gun.

“The officer said ‘what did you say to me?’ and he [Kubi] repeated himself.” Parker said. Kubi drove off and the officer got Kubi’s vehicle tag information and made a report, Parker said.

Kubi was also charged with domestic battery in 2019, Parker said.

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