Joshua David Merritt, 31, of Yulee, Florida, died on December 7, 2014, after an exchange of gunfire with Nassau County deputies in the Pirates Woods subdivision. Deputies responded to multiple 911 calls reporting gunshots; one caller said Merritt had come home and was firing a gun outside, and another call from inside the residence said occupants feared Merritt was going to kill them. Officers observed Merritt enter the home carrying a small rifle and later return to the porch with a handgun. He fired several shots after being ordered to drop the weapon, and deputies returned fire, striking him. He was pronounced dead at the scene and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was asked to investigate the officer-involved shooting.

Merritt’s record included arrests for DUI, driving with a suspended license, and possession of a controlled substance but no felony convictions or documented history of violent crimes. Neighbors described the household as generally quiet; the shooting left the community shaken. The investigation concluded the deputies acted in self-defense and no arrests or charges were filed against them. Did anyone in the Pirates Woods area have information about Merritt or what led to that night’s confrontation?