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Jaquan Thomas

Gender : Male

Age : 38

Race : Black

Date : 12/28/2024

Location : 600 block of Channelside Drive

City : Tampa

County : Hillsborough

State : Florida

Agency : Tampa Police Department

Officer(s) :Reserve Officer Shelby Riggs-Hopkins

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by reserve officer during confrontation

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On December 28, 2024, at approximately 7:00 PM, Tampa Police Department Reserve Officer Shelby Riggs-Hopkins and her partner were on duty in the 600 block of Channelside Drive near Sparkman Wharf. They encountered 38-year-old Jaquan Thomas, who allegedly threatened to shoot officers and reached into his pocket. In response, Reserve Officer Riggs-Hopkins fired three shots, striking Thomas. Thomas was transported to a hospital in critical but stable condition. No firearm was recovered from Thomas at the scene.
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Reserve Officer Shelby Riggs-Hopkins previously served with the Orlando Police Department (OPD) for approximately a decade. In December 2015, she arrested Daniel Rushing after mistaking doughnut glaze in his vehicle for methamphetamine. Field tests conducted during the stop incorrectly indicated the presence of drugs, leading to Rushing's arrest. Subsequent laboratory analysis confirmed the substance was not an illegal drug, resulting in the charges being dropped. An internal investigation by OPD concluded that Riggs-Hopkins had made a false arrest, though it found no evidence of malice. She received a written reprimand for the incident and resigned from OPD on January 22, 2017.
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The 2015 incident led to a lawsuit against the city of Orlando, resulting in a $37,500 settlement for Daniel Rushing.
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As of July 2023, Riggs-Hopkins joined the Tampa Police Department as a reserve officer and worked for them when she killed Jaquan Thomas on 12/28/2024.
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SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.fox13news.com/news/reserve-officer-shoots-man-who-threatened-police-reached-gun-tpd