Latest news with #TampaPoliceDepartment
Daily Mail
13-07-2025
- Daily Mail
He looks like the perfect husband and pillar of the community but cop 'hid disturbing on-duty behavior'
A Florida police officer abruptly resigned after allegedly texting two women involved in a death investigation he was working before he was accused of having a sexual encounter with one of them while on-duty. Tampa Police Department Officer Jeffrey Brandon Hutchinson, 39, was accused of sending unsolicited text messages to two women involved in a prior death investigation before showing up to one of the women's homes where an alleged sexual encounter occurred. In February this year, Hutchinson began messaging the women for several days after meeting them during an investigation two months prior, according to a Final Disposition letter obtained by Daily Mail which was signed by District One Captain E Rojas. On February 20, the former officer of four years with the TPD was said to have been in full uniform when he arrived in his assigned marked police vehicle at one of the unnamed women's homes, according to the Final Disposition letter. The woman claimed in an interview later conducted by the department that, while inside her home, she and Hutchinson kissed before he touched her breast under her shirt and then exposed his genitalia to her. She told the department personnel that they did not have sex but said that the sexual encounter was consensual, the letter stated. According to the letter, the woman asked Hutchinson to leave and he did. The pair continued to exchange text messages before the woman made a complaint to the police department. Hutchinson had recorded that at the time of the alleged encounter he was writing reports at the department's District One office. An internal investigation began and then Hutchinson resigned on April 24 before he was able to give a statement to investigators. Hutchinson was found to have violated several of the department's policies including sexual activity while on duty, timekeeping, failure to comply with department regulations relating to the assigned vehicle program, standards of conduct and incompetence. The former officer's resignation was not publicly announced, nor were the details of the allegations as the case was finalized in May. His resignation was brought to light after a court notice from the Hillsborough State Attorney's Office stating that the former officer was no longer employed with the department. A disclosure court notice obtained by Daily Mail declared that Hutchinson was no longer employed within the TPD after the department sustained findings of his violations. Hutchinson did not respond to Daily Mail's request for comment. The Tampa Bay Police Department did not provide a statement.
The Hill
24-06-2025
- The Hill
Authorities locate 60 ‘critically missing' children in Florida operation: US Marshals
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The United States Marshals Service (USMS) partnered with multiple federal, state, and local government agencies to conduct what the Service called the most successful missing child recovery operation in USMS history. Operation Dragon Eye was a two-week initiative designed to recover or safely locate the most critically missing youth across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties, USMS said. Sixty critically missing children were recovered or safely located as part of the operation, authorities said. 'The unique part of this operation was the fact that underaged critically missing children ranging from age 9 to 17 were not only recovered but were debriefed and provided with physical and psychological care. This operation further included follow-up assistance in hopes that these youth will not return back to the streets to be further victimized,' William Berger, the United States Marshal for the Middle District of Florida, said. According to USMS, 'critically missing' children are those who are at risk of crimes of violence or those with other elevated risk factors like substance abuse, sexual exploitation, crime exposure, or domestic violence. 'Operation Dragon Eye was much more than a U.S. Marshals Service operation; it was a community initiative,' said U.S. Marshals Service Deputy in Charge Mario Price. This operation had three primary objectives: recover critically missing youth, provide them with essential services including appropriate placement, and to deter bad actors exploiting missing child vulnerabilities. In addition to recovering missing children, the operation also arrested eight people with charges that included: human trafficking, child endangerment, narcotics possession, and custodial interference. According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, officers located 11 missing juveniles and arrested two people, one with human trafficking. 'This operation is a powerful example of the importance of collaboration,' said Tampa Police Department Chief Lee Bercaw. 'These arrests and recoveries serve as a reminder of the Tampa Police Department's commitment to fight to protect our most vulnerable.'
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘Operation Dragon-Eye': 60 ‘critically missing' children located in most successful operation
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)—The United States Marshals Service partnered with multiple federal, state, and local government agencies to conduct the most successful missing child recovery operation in U.S. Marshals Service history. Operation Dragon-Eye was a two-week initiative designed to recover or safely locate the most critically missing youth across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties, USMS said. 60 critically missing children were recovered or safely located in part of the operation. 'About darn time': Victims' families react to Leo Govoni's arrest in $100M fraud case Major renovation coming to Hillsborough High School thanks to penny sales tax Hillsborough County teacher tried to smuggle guns to foreign country: US Attorney 'The unique part of this operation was the fact that underaged critically missing children ranging from age 9 to 17 were not only recovered but were debriefed and provided with physical and psychological care. This operation further included follow-up assistance in hopes that these youth will not return back to the streets to be further victimized,' William Berger, United States Marshal, Middle District of Florida said. According to USMS, 'critically missing' children are those who are at risk of crimes of violence or those with other elevated risk factors like substance abuse, sexual exploitation, crime exposure, or domestic violence. 'Operation Dragon Eye was much more than a U.S. Marshals Service operation; it was a community initiative,' said U.S. Marshals Service Deputy in Charge Mario Price. This operation had three primary objectives: recover critically missing youth, provide them with essential services including appropriate placement, and to deter bad actors exploiting missing child vulnerabilities. 'The majority were being trafficked. The eight people that we arrested, it wasn't just a child, some of them had multiple children working for them. You know, in the old days we used to call them pimps, now it's human traffickers, but their criminals,' said Bill Berger who is the U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida. Berger said those arrested are facing charges of human trafficking, child endangerment and drug possession. 'They know these children were underage. If you look at the average age of the offender, well into their 30s and 40s and then the age of the children were from 9 to 17,' said Berger. In addition to recovering missing children, the operation also arrested eight people with charges that included: human trafficking, child endangerment, narcotics possession, and custodial interference. According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, officers located 11 missing juveniles and arrested two people, one with human trafficking. 'This operation is a powerful example of the importance of collaboration,' said Tampa Police Department Chief Lee Bercaw. 'These arrests and recoveries serve as a reminder of the Tampa Police Department's commitment to fight to protect our most vulnerable.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
Domestic dispute turns to gunfire, killing 1 man in Tampa: TPD
The Brief A domestic dispute in Tampa turned to gunfire, killing one man, according to police. Police say that all the people involved are related or known to each other. A woman was also hospitalized with serious injuries, but she is now stable. TAMPA - One person is dead and another is injured after Tampa police say a domestic-related dispute escalated into a shootout on Sunday morning on the 1700 block of N Club Court. Investigators say that one of the people involved remained at the scene, and he has been cooperating with them. A man was taken to a local hospital where he later died, and a woman was also hospitalized with serious injuries, but she is now stable. Police say that all the people involved are related or known to each other. At this point, TPD says that the incident appears to be isolated and there is no threat to the public. READ: Trump sends National Guard to LA County amid anti-ICE protests What's next The investigation is ongoing and more details will come from the Tampa Police Department. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was provided by the Tampa 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
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tampa Police get 300 new lifesaving choking devices from New York-based company
The Brief A company based in New York donated choking rescue devices to the Tampa Police Department. The devices, which are called LifeVac, create a one-way suction to remove lodged food or objects from a choking victim. These devices will be distributed to officers soon. TAMPA, Fla. - A New York-based company donated 300 choking rescue devices to the Tampa Police Department. These devices, called LifeVac, create a one-way suction to remove lodged food or objects from a choking victim. "This is just another tool for us, especially for our youth, to be out there and provide another opportunity to save a life," Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said of the donation. The backstory Last month,a Tampa police officer used back blows to help save a toddler who was choking on a tomato. "That's the reason that we're getting this donation," Bercaw said Friday of the bodycam video. "[LifeVac inventor] Mr. Lih saw that video and said, 'I've got to get that product down here in a generous donation.'" "I knew as a parent, I'd be freaking out. I would be very distressed. So I tried to come up with something really simple. You push it, pull it, and that suction pulls it out," LifeVac President and Creator Arthur Lih said. These devices will be distributed to officers soon. Bercaw told FOX 13 the devices will be placed in patrol cars and will be used in schools and at Police Athletic League youth activities. Dig deeper As shown in LifeVac's online instructional video, the New York-based company said people should first follow choking protocols established by the American Red Cross. That means doing back blows and abdominal thrusts first. And if those actions don't work – or if those actions cannot be completed for whatever reason – then a LifeVac device can come into play. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages people to follow established choking rescue protocols by the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association. In an April 2024 update, the FDA said these protocols do not include anti-choking devices: "The safety and effectiveness of anti-choking devices that are being sold over-the-counter have not been established; they are not FDA approved or cleared." Success Stories Just this week, a Georgia police officer used a LifeVac device to save a driver choking on a water bottle cap. Years ago, LifeVac devices were placed in every school in Sarasota County. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia.
