A retired Orlando police officer was shot and killed on New Year’s Day in what investigators say began as a family dispute, according to authorities.
Police were called to a home in Orlando around 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 1, where they found a man lying on the ground with an apparent gunshot wound, the Orlando Police Department said in a press release. The victim was rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The victim was identified as 65-year-old Dennis Turner, a former Orlando police officer who served the department for 23 years before retiring in 2018.
Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a family dispute. A suspect who fled the scene was later located and taken into custody, police said.
Authorities identified the suspect as 58-year-old Jeffrey London. He has been charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. It was not immediately clear whether London has entered a plea or retained an attorney.
After retiring from the police department, Turner briefly worked as a school resource officer in Orlando. He was fired in 2019 after arresting two children, ages 6 and 8, without first receiving approval from a watch commander, according to local reports. The children were released shortly afterward.
At the time, then-Police Chief Orlando Rolón said department policy required officers to seek supervisory approval before arresting children under the age of 12.
Having to get permission from someone who didn’t even see what transpired before you can make an arrest is such b.s.