Orlando Police Officer Killed and Motorcycle Deputy Killed Responding

Slain officer identified as 17-year-veteran of OPD

WESH 2 News
Updated: 2:50 PM EST Jan 9, 2017

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police have identified the officer who was gunned down while on duty Monday morning.

Chief John Mina identified the slain officer as Master Sgt. Debra Clayton, a 17-year-veteran of the department.

Clayton was shot and killed in the line of duty near a Walmart in Orlando.

Police Chief John Mina said the suspect, Markieth Loyd, 41, also is also wanted in the slaying of a pregnant woman.

Colleagues of Clayton said she was married and a mother of two. She was being remembered Monday as a person who always had a smile on her face and often took time out of her day to interact with the community.
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Slain Orlando police officer Debra Clayton called a hero
Orlando Sentinel
David Harris
January 9, 2017

A sheriff's deputy later was killed in a crash with a 78-year-old driver.

Debra Clayton, the 17-year Orlando police officer killed Monday morning, was hailed as a hero by Chief John Mina.

"She will be deeply missed," Mina said

Clayton, 42, was married and the mother of an adult son who is in college, according to Mina. She was assigned to dayshift patrol and will be "missed beyond words."

"She always had a smile [and] high five for every kid she came across," the department tweeted.

Hours after the killing, friends gathered in front of her home on a tree-lined street in Ocoee, where neighbors say they shared power washers and tools with each other.

Teresa Sokolovic, a teacher at St. Cloud High School, met Clayton in December 2015 at a charity event at Camping World Stadium.
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UPDATE

Click OrlandoORLANDO, Fla. - An Orange County Sheriff's Office deputy was struck and killed Monday morning during a search for a man who is accused of killing an Orlando police officer, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The deputy, identified around 5 p.m. Monday as Deputy First Class Norman Lewis, was on a motorcycle when a van hit him. Lewis, 35, was hired at the Orange County Sheriff's Office in 2005. He's a University of Central Florida alumnus and played football for the Knights, deputies said.

Orlando officer shot at during struggle with suspect

Police: Orlando officer shot at during struggle with masked man on scooter
Suspect taken to hospital

Police: Orlando officer shot at during struggle with suspect

ORLANDO, Fla. —An Orlando Police officer was shot at by a suspect in the Baldwin Park neighborhood of Orlando on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

According to police, the officer was working in uniform and issued a citation to a driver during a traffic stop near the intersection of Fox Street and Juel Street.

A short time later, the driver of that vehicle returned to the scene on a scooter wearing a mask and intentionally ran a stop sign in front of the officer, police said. The officer tried to stop the suspect and he crashed his scooter, police said.
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Operation Safety 91 Tribute to First Responders

It was my pleasure to attend this 5th tribute to our first responders here in Orlando. Ed and Mary Ganster did a fabulous job putting this all together and as always, the Rosen Center Hotel was beautiful.

Operation Safety 91 is about Psalm 91 and those who are willing to risk their lives for all of us everyday.

Psalm 91
King James Version (KJV)
91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

The emcee was WESH2 Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi

Col. Danny McKnight, better known for Black Hawk Down is the National Spokesman for OS91 and he told the story of where he was last year. He was in Afghanistan when a young solider was blown up by an IED. The soldier lost both his legs but his arm was saved.

Jorge Diaz, West Miami Police Officer and author of Your Shield and Buckler talked about being watched over by God's angels and how each of the men and women serving this country were "equipped" to do it from within almost as much as they were equipped with their weapons.


This event was also broadcast to troops serving overseas.

Orlando First Responders Tribute from Operation Safety 91

Operation Safety 91 is having their annual tribute to first responders on Friday February 22 at the Rosen Hotel and announced it will be streamed live.

Thanks to Face to Face Live, Inc., and our devoted Board Member Al Haslam, Operation Safety 91's 5th Annual Tribute to Honor America's 1st Responders will be streamed LIVE on the Internet.

We invite all who are unable to attend, including our troops in Afghanistan whom we support, to be a part of this Tribute Event, by watching it live from wherever you are around the globe.

If you are unable to watch the live stream, look for the link on OS91.com to watch at your convenience! We want as many Responders, Responder families, Responder Chaplains, and patriotic Americans to watch this as possible! So please spread the word to your contacts through Facebook, Twitter, Blog, email, and word of mouth. We want to share our message with as many as possible! We know we can count on you to help us spread the word.

I was unable to attend the last couple of years because of other commitments but this year I can make it and I am really looking forward to it.

Marine and Deputy Sheriff Brandon Coates killed in the line of duty

Slain Deputy Brandon Coates laid to rest
By Kelli Cook and Jacqueline Fell, Team Coverage
ORLANDO
Thousands from all over the country gathered to say goodbye to fallen Orange County Deputy Brandon Coates Tuesday.

Coates, 27, was killed Dec. 8 during a traffic stop near Orange Blossom Trail.

Friends, family, and a huge law enforcement turnout packed the First Baptist Church of Orlando.

Hundreds of people in the Orange County community and beyond showed up Tuesday to pay tribute to Coates at a public viewing, also at First Baptist Orlando.

Coates was also a war veteran, and those in the community said his death is a loss for all of Central Florida.

"I myself have three young boys at home,” said Cpl. Scott Jenny from the Orange County Sheriff's Office. “I hope and pray they grow to be just like Brandon one day."

"Brandon was a warrior," said Deputy Robert Ricks.
Those who gathered to say goodbye said Coates was among the best law enforcement has to offer.

Having survived two tours in Iraq as a Marine, it was a local criminal who took his life in a traffic stop.

Friends and family celebrated his life, and his love for his wife Virginia.

"There never before seen such unfaltering love and there's no doubt in my mind they belonged to each other," said Deputy Brian Hummel, Coates’ best friend.
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Slain Deputy Brandon Coates laid to rest

Orange County Deputy Sheriff Susan Soto holds a picture of Deputy Brandon Coates, who was shot and killed Wednesday. (Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel)

Orange County Deputy Shot and Killed
By Bianca Prieto and Walter Pacheco, Orlando Sentinel
1:23 p.m. EST, December 9, 2010
Deputy Brandon Coates, who served as a U.S. Marine, was shot and killed while patrolling one of Orange County's most dangerous areas — a neighborhood near South Orange Blossom Trail known for violent crimes, drugs, prostitution and murder.

"Deputy Sheriff Brandon Coates was indeed a hero and one of the best deputies we have here in this agency," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said today.

Officials said accused gunman Brandon Lyals shot the 27-year-old deputy in the head twice after Coates pulled over Lyals' white truck near Nashville Avenue and 45th Street at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"What we now know is that there was some kind of struggle, or circumstance that caused Deputy Coates to fire his Taser," Demings said. "At some point, Deputy Sheriff Coates was shot in the head twice and succumbed to his injuries after being transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where the trauma team worked on him diligently."
Orange County Deputy Shot and Killed

Man shot in front of 100 people, no clues

Police identify man shot at Orlando apartment complex

Bianca Prieto

Sentinel Staff Writer

9:10 a.m. EDT, September 2, 2009


Orlando police are investigating an late night shooting at a complex on Jacobs Place near the East-West Expressway.

Jarrell C. Bowers, 25, was shot in front of a crowd of about 100 people who were gathered at the complex, an Orlando lieutenant said.

Bowers was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition. He is recovering there this morning.
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Police identify man shot at Orlando apartment complex

Mom arrested after 5-year-old daughter shot

Mom arrested after 5-year-old daughter shot

Updated: 5:19 p.m.
A late-night shooting of a 5-year-old girl at an Orlando apartment complex appears to be accidental, Orlando police said this afternoon. Read more...

Man breaks into house and kills himself

There is a man dead, clearly he was ill because of this report but there is also a family simply living next door to this man's ex-girl friend, now left with this traumatic event in their minds. We all need to ask what could have been done in this man's life that would have avoided what just happened. Florida has a terrible record on mental health but it has been getting a little better. This shows we have a very long way to go.

Police: Man tries to break into home, stabs himself to death
Walter Pacheco and Bianca Prieto Sentinel Staff Writers
9:57 AM EDT, April 21, 2009
Police identified 43-year-old Derrick Curry as the man who stabbed himself to death after breaking into a home near the Pine Hills neighborhood this morning.

Curry confronted the homeowner of a house on 4449 Westgrove Way at 4 a.m after an argument with his ex-girlfriend, who lives next door, police reports show. Sgt. Barbara Jones of the Orlando Police Department said Curry attempted to stab the homeowner with a knife, but later turned the weapon on himself.

Rescue crews said Curry died at the scene.

"It appears that Curry had gotten into an argument with his ex-girlfriend about someone else who was now staying at her house," Jones said. "But right now, it's hard to tell exactly what happened."

Police reports show Curry has a history of domestic violence and has been taken into custody under the state's Baker Act in the past.

The homeowner was at the house with his family, including two elementary school-age children.
Police: Man tries to break into home, stabs himself to death

Orlando police review handling of 911 calls before murder-suicide

Orlando police review handling of 911 calls before murder-suicide
Willoughby Mariano Sentinel Staff Writer
March 25, 2009
Orlando police are investigating how a 911 dispatcher handled calls asking police to help a woman who was kidnapped and later found murdered, a department spokeswoman said Tuesday.

It took police almost four hours to find Loyta Sloley, 34, who called co-workers hours before her Jan. 27 death and told them that she was being held against her will by her ex-boyfriend. By the time police arrived, she was dead on the floor of a downtown Orlando hotel, shot at least four times by ex-boyfriend James Clayton, according to a police report.

Police found Clayton, 46, collapsed on top of Sloley, dead. He killed himself with a single gunshot wound to the head.

The internal investigation started after a complaint from within the department, said Sgt. Barbara Jones, an Orlando police spokeswoman. She said department policy prevented her from giving the name of the dispatcher and other details, but a police report shows there was a 16-minute delay before an officer was dispatched to find Sloley.


Attempts to reach Sloley's family by telephone were unsuccessful.

Clayton was arrested in March 1989 in Alachua County in the killing of his live-in girlfriend. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was released on probation after eight years, according to a police report.
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Orlando police review handling of 911 calls before murder-suicide

Three people stabbed in Publix parking lot

3 people stabbed in Publix parking lot
Oct 26, 2008 16:00 -0400
Updated: 56 minutes ago
3 people stabbed in Publix parking lot
Susan Jacobson Sentinel Staff Writer
4:00 PM EDT, October 26, 2008
At least three people were stabbed today in the parking lot of a Rosemont Publix, Orlando police said.
Lamar Maurice Shannon was in custody this afternon on aggravated-battery charges. Shannon approached a vehicle with people he knew inside, and three of four were stabbed, police said. All injuries are said not to be life-threatening. The shopping center is at 5800 N. Orange Blossom Trail.
Check back for updates.

IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS CONTACT THE POLICE AND HELP THEM OUT.

Orlando honors POWs and MIAs

Orlando honors POWs and MIAs
Mark Schlueb Sentinel Staff Writer
September 21, 2008
ORLANDO - Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer honored the nation's soldiers who have been prisoners of war or missing in action at a ceremony Friday at City Hall.
About 200 people attended the POW-MIA recognition ceremony hosted by Dyer and his Veterans Advisory Council.The event featured speeches by Dyer, veterans council chairman Paul Hay, and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. John Bennett.
The Winter Springs Junior ROTC helped, along with representatives of the Orlando police and fire departments.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-b3metjustin21_0508sep21,0,3685147.story

Flurry of bullets near Orlando playground kills three

Flurry of bullets near Orlando playground kills three
Vincent Bradshaw and Willoughby Mariano Sentinel Staff Writers
6:10 AM EDT, July 31, 2008

Gunfire erupted only a few feet from a crowded playground Wednesday, leaving a man and two teenagers dead.

The 5 p.m. triple slaying outside The Palms Apartments on Mercy Drive occurred as the complex's courtyards were jammed with playing children and residents returning from work.

Witnesses reported that as many as two dozen shots rang out, sending residents running for cover.

Police this morning confirmed two of the victims as Carlos Patterson, 16, and Cedric Garrett Jr., 18. Relatives identified Marcus Lorenzo Hayes, 29, as the third victim. Investigators with the Orlando Police Department have not released the motive in the slayings.
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Who shot Officer Walner Pierrissaint?

Public's help sought in shooting
June 19, 2008

ORLANDO - Orlando police are trying to figure out who shot a corrections officer outside an apartment on Raleigh Street on June 9.

Walner Pierrissaint, 38, who works for the Department of Juvenile Justice, remains in critical condition at a hospital, police said.

His co-workers and family members are asking the public for help in solving the case.

Officers arrived about 11 p.m. at Timber Sound Apartments and found Pierrissaint shot. He had been visiting a friend after a Bible-study class.
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