Latest news with #LakelandPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Yahoo
Wanted Florida man arrested after taunting Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd online: ‘You done messed up'
The Brief A wanted man who posted online that the Polk County Sheriff's Office couldn't find him was arrested by the Lakeland Police Department. The Lakeland Police Department said that it has the back of the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Aaron Johnson was taken to the Polk County Sheriff's Office upon his arrest. LAKELAND, Fla. - It was game on when a wanted Florida man made a social media post challenging the Polk County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Grady Judd to find him. The backstory On Tuesday, the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Lakeland Police Department shared a series of Facebook posts made by Aaron Johnson. In the posts, Johnson states, "Ya'll too busy fishing dats why yall didn't catch me when I left my grandmas house today. Should've waited a bit longer. Yall accepted da challenge right. #GradyCan't FindMe #ComeAgainGrady." In response, the Polk County Sheriff's Office wrote, "Spoken like a true man. Way to take responsibility for your actions. No worries – we will find you. Bet." READ:New Florida laws taking effect July 1: Here's what you need to know The series of posts continued with Johnson stating, "I done out ran yall several time. #ComeTryAgainGrady." PCSO responded with, "Challenge accepted." Johnson replied with, "OK! I'll give you and ya crew a head start. Ya'll couldn't catch me on foot or in da car last time. Maybe you gonna need that horse or ya helicopter! #levelup #ImGoneGrady." Dig deeper What Johnson didn't know was that the Lakeland Police Department also accepted the challenge to find him after he bragged online about not being caught despite having multiple felony warrants. After capturing Johnson, the Lakeland Police Department took to social media and wrote, "What Aaron didn't know is— that we got their backs! When Aaron Johnson jumped on Facebook and challenged the Polk County Sheriff's Office, bragging he couldn't be caught despite having multiple felony warrants, our LPD officers said, 'Challenge accepted. Today, that little game ended. Our officers and detectives tracked him down and personally delivered him to the Deputies at the Polk County Jail. Nice try, Aaron. Maybe next time… but probably not.'" READ:Shark bite survivor's family, TGH doctors discuss 9-year-old's recovery: 'She's done a fantastic job' In response, PCSO wrote online, "You done messed up A-aron! You forgot all the agencies here in Polk work LakelandPD for the find. #GotEm #TeamworkMakesTheDreamwork #PlayStupidGamesWinStupidPrizes #AaronRanButWeCaughtHimAnyway." Johnson was arrested and taken to the Polk County Jail. He is facing several charges, including violation of pretrial release condition. The Source This story was written with information posted by the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Lakeland Police Department. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
New York Post
20-06-2025
- New York Post
Cocky fugitive's social media challenge to sheriff backfires in spectacular fashion
A wanted Florida man has been arrested after a series of social media posts taunting the Polk County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Grady Judd for not being able to catch him. The Polk County Sheriff's Office and Lakeland Police Department shared a series of Facebook posts by 29-year-old Aaron Donta Johnson, who was a wanted man for violating a pretrial release condition. 'Ya'll too busy fishing dats why yall didn't catch me when I left my grandmas house today,' Johnson said in one post to Judd's department. 'Should've waited a bit longer. Yall accepted da challenge right. #GradyCan't FindMe #ComeAgainGrady.' The posts, laden with poor grammar and bad spelling, appeared to be a dig towards Judd and his department for being too late to the scene. But that did not stop Judd and his team from responding to Johnson and taking on the challenge. 'Spoken like a true man. Way to take responsibility for your actions,' the sheriff's office wrote. 'No worries – we will find you. Bet.' 4 Florida fugitive Aaron Donta Johnson smiles as police officers take a picture after his arrest on June 17, 2025. Lakeland PD/Facebook As the posts continued, Johnson told the sheriff's office, 'I done out ran yall several time. #ComeTryAgainGrady.' 'Challenge accepted,' the sheriff's office wrote. In the final post shared by the sheriff's office, Johnson responded, 'OK! I'll give you and ya crew a head start. Ya'll couldn't catch me on foot or in da car last time. Maybe you gonna need that horse or ya helicopter! #level up #ImGoneGrady.' Also accepting the challenge, unbeknownst to Johnson, was the Lakeland Police Department, after he bragged about not being caught despite having multiple felony warrants issued against him. 4 The posts, laden with poor grammar and bad spelling, appeared to be a dig towards Judd and his department for being too late to the scene. Lakeland PD/Facebook Johnson was ultimately captured by the Lakeland Police Department, who transported him to the Polk County Jail. 'What Aaron didn't know is – that we got their backs,' Lakeland Police wrote on social media. 'When Aaron Johnson jumped on Facebook and challenged the Polk County Sheriff's Office, bragging he couldn't be caught despite having multiple felony warrants, our LPD officers said, 'Challenge accepted. 'Today, that little game ended,' the police department continued. 'Our officers and detectives tracked him down and personally delivered him to the Deputies at the Polk County Jail. Nice Try, Aaron. Maybe next time…but probably not.' 4 As the posts continued, Johnson told the sheriff's office, 'I done out ran yall several time. #ComeTryAgainGrady.' Lakeland PD/Facebook Judd has become known for his no-nonsense tactics when it comes to stopping crime in Polk County. He's also become infamous for making examples of criminals – Johnson was no different. 'You done messed up A-aron!' the Polk County Sheriff's Office said, referring to a hilarious and popular bit on the sketch comedy show, 'Key & Peele.' 'You forgot all the agencies here in Polk work together…………thanks LakelandPD for the find. #GotEm #TeamworkMakesTheDreamwork #PlayStupidGamesWinStupidPrizes #AaronRanButWeCaughtHimAnyway.' 4 Johnson was ultimately captured by the Lakeland Police Department, who transported him to the Polk County Jail. Polk County Sheriff Johnson has been in and out of the Polk County Jail several times since at least 2015, on charges including drug possession, driving on a suspended license, domestic assault, burglary, and written threat to kill or injure another person, according to jail records. He now faces several charges, including violation of pretrial release conditions.
Miami Herald
19-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Wanted man ‘challenged' deputies to find him. Then, Florida cops did just that
A man wanted on multiple felony charges has been taken into custody after making comments on a Florida sheriff's office's Facebook page, challenging deputies to catch him, police said. Aaron Johnson, 29, was wanted on domestic violence and aggravated assault charges when he commented on a June 3 Facebook post from the Polk County Sheriff's Office showcasing the speed of K9 Reno, according to the Lakeland Police Department. While responding to a comment, the sheriff's office posted, 'We really thought our deputy was going to outrun K9 Reno,' according to screengrabs shared by police. 'I done out run y'all several time(s),' Johnson responded. 'Challenge accepted #levelup,' the sheriff's office said. 'Ok! I'll give you a head start. Y'all couldn't catch me on foot or in da car last time. Maybe you gonna need that horse or ya helicopter #levelup #ImgGoneGrady,' Johnson commented. Johnson later commented again on a sheriff's office post celebrating a fishing event with Sheriff Grady Judd, according to police. 'Y'all (too) busy fishing (that's) why y'all didn't catch me when I left my grandma's house today!' Johnson wrote, according to screengrabs from Lakeland Police. 'Y'all accepted da challenge right #GradyCan'tFindMe #ComeAgainGrady' The sheriff's office responded in a comment saying 'No worries — we will find you. Bet,' according to cops. In a June 17 Facebook post, Lakeland police said the 'little game' ended when officers and detectives 'tracked (Johnson) down' and transferred him to the Polk County Jail. 'When Aaron Johnson jumped on Facebook and challenged the Polk County Sheriff's Office, bragging he couldn't be caught despite having felony warrants, our LPD officers said, 'Challenge accepted,'' police said. The sheriff's office shared the post and said, 'You forgot all the agencies here in Polk work together.' Johnson was charged with domestic battery, domestic violence aggravated assault with a weapon, domestic violence felony battery, criminal mischief and felony tampering, arrest records show. Lakeland is about a 35-mile drive northeast from downtown Tampa.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lakeland Police Department to host controversial training program banned by 9 states
The Lakeland Police Department plans to host a controversial training program that has been accused of teaching "inappropriate tactics," so much so that nine states have banned law enforcement from taking the company's courses. Lakeland is scheduled to host Street Cop Training at its training center northeast of Lake Parker in August. The program is entitled "Pro-Active Patrol Tactics" and would be taught by the company's founder and CEO Dennis Benigno. The course is marketed as "The foundational course Street Cop Training was built on," according to the company's website. Street Cop Training, formerly of New Jersey and now based in Crestview, Florida, was investigated by the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller with a 43-page report published in December 2023. The State Attorney's Office concluded "the training taught unconstitutional policing tactics, glorified violence, denigrated women and minorities, and likely violated a myriad of state laws and policies." Former Edgewater Police Officer Daniel Rippeon is one of hundreds of Florida law enforcement who have taken the Street Cop Training since it relocated to Florida in January 2024. The company held its annual training conference in Kissimmee that same year. Rippeon resigned in June after being accused of using aggressive tactics to arrest a 22-year-old CVS worker who was sitting outside the store awaiting a ride after his shift, according to a report from the Daytona Beach News-Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network-Florida along with The Ledger. Body camera footage showed Rippeon threatening to tase Wert and deploy his K-9 on him when he did not produce an ID. Wert was charged with resisting arrest without violence, which was later dropped. The Ledger has attempted to speak with the Lakeland Police Department about the decision to host Street Cop Training and received an emailed statement from Chief Sam Taylor. "We evaluate training opportunities through the lens of our community, our department standards as well as our commitment to constitutional policing. Officers attending any training program are expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and accountability," Taylor wrote. The chief is expected to give a presentation on "Hiring, Training and Retaining Lakeland Police Officers" to city commissioners at their commission meeting 9 a.m. June 16 at City Hall, 228 S. Massachusetts Ave. Street Copy Training was founded by Dennis Benigno, a former law enforcement officer who worked with a municipal police department in Middlesex County, New Jersey, until 2015, according to the News-Journal. Benigno founded the company in 2012 in an effort to deliver high-quality training he felt necessary to provide law enforcement with knowledge and skills to be effective in the field, according to his website. The Ledger has reached out to Street Cop Training's media team in effort to speak with them about the upcoming Lakeland event with no response, including how the company's training and curriculum may have evolved or changed over time. Benigno told the News-Journal in a phone interview the New Jersey investigation into his company was politically motivated. "We teach constitutionality, respect and restraint," he said in the phone interview. "All the negative things in the New Jersey report were politically driven. Out of 1,000 people, they took one negative comment and made a big deal of it." Benigno also issued a statement in response to the report on his company's Youtube Channel. Video excerpts from the 2021 Street Cop Training conference investigated by the New Jersey State Attorney's office are posted online by NJOIT Open Data Center. At least eight other states have followed New Jersey's lead ― California, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada and Oregon — prohibiting their law enforcement agencies from attending the company's training. Lakeland officers have faced public criticism and scrutiny for aggressive tactics, from the use of excessive force to questionable decisions in the field leading to injury or death in the past three years. In January 2023, BLM Restoration Polk asked FDLE to launch an investigation into the Lakeland Police Department and four officers accused of using excessive force in arresting a Black man after a traffic stop. In January 2025, four officers resigned from the department after the State Attorney Brian Haas discovered evidence that "appeared to show officers intentionally turning off recording devices, both in-car and body-worn cameras." Of these, three were involved in the excessive force complaint. The department faces a "wrongful and untimely" death lawsuit for a February 2023 incident when former LPD officer Eric Harper pursued the late Alex Greene in a high-speed chase before ultimately shooting him. Harper resigned prior to the lawsuit. This August will be the first time Lakeland has hosted the company's training, according to Kerr, but no one from the department has been made available to discuss the decision. Six Lakeland officers were among 1,000 other officers in attendance at the 2024 conference in Kissimmee, according to Officer Stephanie Kerr, a police department spokesperson. The annual conference cost $699 per attendee, or about $4,200 in total, which Kerr said was recouped from the police department's investigative costs as is standard procedure. Other Polk County law enforcement agencies, including the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Bartow Police Department and Winter Haven Police Department, say none of their members have attended any Street Cop Training program. These agencies say none of their members are enrolled for the upcoming August event. No Lakeland officers are currently enrolled to attend the August training, according to Kerr. However, the police department does receive an incentive to allow Street Cop Training to use its facilities. Hosting agencies receive one free registration for every 10 individuals who register for the course, up to a maximum of 10, according to its website.. The course costs $299 per student. Taylor said some of the topics he expects to be covered in the August training include, 'How To Implement Kindness and Compassion For A Successful Career" and "A Comprehensive Understanding of Case Law Application and Legal Steps Police Officers Must Follow." The chief said he believes this training will equip Lakeland officers with critical tools for decision making, de-escalation and officer safety skills. "My responsibility is to prepare our officers to respond effectively, ethically, and decisively in high-stakes situations," Taylor wrote. "If new information from our attendees indicates that this training no longer aligns with best practices or the expectations of our community we will reassess our participation accordingly," he said. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland will host a police training program banned in 9 states
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lakeland police, volunteer groups working to find man who went missing May 13
LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — Lakeland police and a group of volunteers are working to find a man who has been missing for weeks. Frederick Blackwelder, 71, spent most of his time in south Lakeland, where he and other family members live, according to Lakeland Police. '[He] just visits family and attends church so that's the area that he usually stays in,' said Officer Stephanie Kerr, public information officer at Lakeland Police Department. In the wee hours of May 13, police said, Blackwelder was driving toward Bartow on 98 South at 540A. It was the last time his vehicle, a 2006 white Toyota Scion TC with Florida tag number 665-3VY, was seen. 'If the public could just review their videos and see if it's possible that he had been in the area, it would certainly help us in locating him,' Kerr said. Pinellas man blames error on state report for uptick in car insurance rates Volunteer search and recovery group, We Are The Essentials, is also helping to locate him in coordination with the police department. 'These areas in yellow are areas that we've searched,' said Shelley Croft, private investigator and volunteer with We Are The Essentials, pointing to a map app on her phone. Croft said the group uses a mapping system to track where they've gone and where they still need to go, starting at the missing person's last known location. 'We don't just go rogue and go out and start searching because you have to have a starting point,' said Croft. This weekend, We Are The Essentials partnered with Sunshine State Sonar to search 30 bodies of water but found no sign of Blackwelder. 'Everybody deserves that closure,' Croft said. 'The unknown is heartbreaking and devastating for families when they don't know where their loved one is.' Police said Blackwelder was reported missing May 24th after his family members returned from vacation and could not locate him. 'Somebody who is very close to him reported him missing, cares for him and loves him and would like to see him found,' Kerr said. She said no foul play is suspected at this time. Anyone with information and/or videos of Blackwelder's vehicle is urged to contact the Lakeland Police Department at 863-834-6966. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
