13 arrested, 1 wanted in fatal 2023 drive-by shooting in Seminole County
Seminole County deputies have arrested 13 people and are searching for one more in a 2023 drive-by shooting where a woman was killed in what the sheriff called a high-profile dispute between music stars Kodak Black and Jackboy, with gang ties.
โItโs like Russian roulette:โ Seminole sheriff explains how fentanyl is fueling deadly opioid crisis
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma sat down with anchor Justin Warmoth on โThe Weeklyโ to break down how the opioid epidemic has evolved over the years and what itโs going to take to get the crisis under control.
Community leaders looking to stop opioid overdose deaths, blame pandemic
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Church leaders and law enforcement are working together to address the rise in overdose deaths within the last year. โWhat we are seeing is a perfect storm of the previous overdose crisis now colliding with COVID-19 and driving the numbers of deaths from overdose to historic levels,โ Andrae Bailey, CEO of Project Opioid said. Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma, a coach for Project Opioid, said they are working to bring more community programs to reach those struggling with opioid addiction. โWeโve incorporated a lot in various programs in Seminole County and this project with project opioid brings the faith community together, the business community together and the public sector to come up with real reasonable solutions,โ Lemma said. To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6โฒs coronavirus newsletter and go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.
Seminole County opens vaccine site for law enforcement, teachers
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. โ Seminole County has opened a vaccination site in downtown Sanford exclusively for K-12 teachers and law enforcement officers 50 years old and older. The site will distribute 660 Pfizer first doses per day Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Sanford Civic Center. Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said he is considering incentivizing his deputies to get the vaccine. โI also think that indirectly this sends the message the public that if our law enforcement officers and school teachers are out here getting vaccinated, that itโs safe to do so.โDietra Frederick, a teacher at Lyman High School, said she feels โspecialโ and โhonoredโ that the county designated a vaccine site exclusively for teachers and law enforcement. Law enforcement and teacher ID badges will be checked at the site.
Oviedo High School testing gun detection technology
OVIEDO, Fla. โ New gun detection technology is being tested at Oviedo High School in hopes of keeping the campus safe. Itโs been used at Oviedo High School on a trial basis for the past three months. [TRENDING: Mega Millions jackpot hits $750M | Fla. firefighter charged in Capitol riot | How to get vaccine in Fla. | Gun background checks skyrocket]ZeroEyes is the company behind the gun detection technology, the team includes several military veterans with a background in information technology. ZeroEyes gun detection technology is currently being used in nine different school districts, including schools in New Jersey, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. That new technology has been used at Oviedo High School on a trial basis for the past three months.
Detectives โhoning inโ on culprits in Seminole County double homicide
Tiffany Church, 35, and her boyfriend, Trodarius Rainey, 26, went missing Dec. 30. Their car was found abandoned on New Yearโs Eve with at least one bullet hole, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday. Investigators believe the assailants knew the victims, the sheriff said. He added that detectives have โa pretty good idea of what happened,โ and are continuing to gather evidence. The sheriff said preliminary evidence shows that Church and Rainey were killed and then their bodies were dumped in different places.
Sanford mother of 2, boyfriend fatally shot after disappearance, sheriff says
SANFORD, Fla. โ Authorities have identified the body found Tuesday as that of Tiffany Church, a 35-year-old Sanford woman who was reported missing along with her boyfriend, according to the Seminole County Sheriffโs Office. Their car, a black Toyota Camry, was located in Sanford with a bullet hole in it on Dec. 31. Sheriff Dennis Lemma said both victims were shot. Lemma said Church and Rainey were last seen Dec. 30 at a gas station then were unreachable by family and friends. The sheriff said itโs unclear where both victims were killed but it appears Rainey was shot and his body was moved to where he was discovered.
Seminole County sergeant who died of COVID-19 taught inmate how to read
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. โ Community members and colleagues from the Seminole County Sheriffโs Office gathered for the funeral and celebration of life of 48-year-old Sgt. LaRue was a Marine before spending more than 20 years with the Seminole County Sheriffโs Office Department of Corrections. During his celebration of life, Lemma shared that LaRue earned the nickname โinmate whisperer.โ[TRENDING: Safe to shop during pandemic? The Seminole County Sheriffโs Office said his legacy will live on through the Sgt. The Seminole County Sheriffโs Office said it does not believe LaRue contracted COVID-19 while working at the John.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma wins re-election
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. โ Republican Dennis Lemma has been declared the winner of the Seminole County sheriff race with more than 58% of voters opting to re-elect Lemma. [LIVE RACE RESULTS: Scroll to bottom of story to see all race returns]RACE DETAILS BELOWThe voters of Seminole County have decided who will be their top cop going forward and decided to continue with Sheriff Dennis Lemma. The Republican candidate, Dennis Lemma, has served as Seminole County sheriff since 2017 while Democrat Paul โSpikeโ Hopkins unsuccessfully ran for the role in Orange County in 2016. Lemma will continue deciding how crime is enforced in Seminole County for the next four years and manage the sheriffโs officeโs multi-million dollar budget. Hereโs what you need to know about the candidates:Dennis Lemma (R)Before he was re-elected, Dennis Lemma was a decades-long Seminole County resident who has served as sheriff since he was sworn in on Jan. 3, 2017.
Meet the candidates: Hereโs whoโs running for Seminole County sheriff
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. โ Itโll be up to the people of Seminole County to decide who will be their top cop going forward as they vote for the next sheriff. The Republican candidate, Dennis Lemma, has served as Seminole County sheriff since 2017 while Democrat Paul โSpikeโ Hopkins unsuccessfully ran for the role in Orange County in 2016. Hereโs how to track your ballot]Whoever wins will decide how crime is enforced in Seminole County for the next four years and manage the sheriffโs officeโs multi-million dollar budget. Hereโs what you need to know:Dennis Lemma (R)Dennis Lemma is a decadeslong Seminole County resident who has served as sheriff since he was sworn in on Jan. 3, 2017. Paul โSpikeโ Hopkins (D)Paul โSpikeโ Hopkins is emerging from his retirement after 30 years in law enforcement in hopes of serving as the countyโs next sheriff.
Florida to use $5 million federal grant to fund career program for recovering addicts
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. โ Florida will use a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to fund a pilot program designed to help people recovering from opioid addiction re-enter the workforce through training as well as continue to receive recovery and support services. [TRENDING: โSmell of rotting fleshโ leads to body in trunk | How to celebrate Halloween during pandemic | 98 โmurder hornetsโ removed]The pilot program is called Support to Communities: Fostering Opioid Recovery through Workforce Development. โThere is no question that the isolation and collateral unintended consequences of COVID-19 stop people who were in treatment,โ Lemma said. The DeSantis' said the program is designed to partner with communities including local colleges, CareerSource in Central Florida and law enforcement. โThis new pilot program is focused on connecting individuals who have been impacted by opioid abuse addiction and other substance use disorders, with the resources they need to recover and find meaningful employment in their communities,โ Gov.
Seminole County sheriffโs deputy strikes, kills woman standing in road
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. โ A Seminole County sheriffโs deputy struck and killed a Geneva woman who was standing in a road while talking to her boyfriend, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The fatal crash was reported at 7:50 p.m. Sunday on Snow Hill Road near Winding River Lane, a remote area north of Chuluota. The FHP said the deputy, a 28-year-old Sanford woman, was driving a marked Seminole County sheriffโs SUV south on Snow Hill Road and hit the woman. FHP is investigating after a Seminole County Sheriffโs deputy hit and killed a woman on Snow Hill Rd last night. Snow Hill Road was closed immediately after the crash, but it was later reopened.
Seminole County Sheriffโs Office recruiting, sponsoring minority candidates
Cornelius Blue rose through the ranks of the Seminole County Sheriffโs Office over the last three decades after making a promise to his grandmother in 1990. โHow can I not be in Ministry and law enforcement,โ Blue said. โWe pay for their Academy, and theyโre essentially working full-time receiving a salary while theyโre in school or the academy and is being paid for by the Sheriffโs Office,โ Blue said. โWe wanted do a better job of recruiting minorities and people with the level of diversity to help police and provide service to our community.โThe Sheriffโs Office now also recruits at historically black college and universities. Blue said already the Sheriffโs Office is looking to hiring several minority recruits as deputies or corrections officers.
Seminole County Sheriffโs Office recruiting, sponsoring minority candidates
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. โ Newly promoted Captain Cornelius Blue rose through the ranks of the Seminole County Sheriffโs Office over the last three decades after making a promise to his grandmother in 1990. โHow can I not be in Ministry and law enforcement,โ Blue said. โWe pay for their Academy, and theyโre essentially working full-time receiving a salary while theyโre in school or the academy and is being paid for by the Sheriffโs Office,โ Blue said. โWe wanted to do a better job of recruiting minorities and people with the level of diversity to help police and provide service to our community.โThe Sheriffโs Office now also recruits at historically black colleges and universities. Blue said already the Sheriffโs Office is looking to hiring several minority recruits as deputies or corrections officers.
Crime likely being underreported during COVID-19 pandemic, Seminole sheriff says
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said statistically, the areas crime rate is at the lowest its ever seen adding that its likely substance and domestic abuse crimes are being underreported due to the coronavirus pandemic. The sheriff made his remarks Wednesday afternoon during a mental health roundtable at AdventHealth in Altamonte Springs. You know (crime) is down across the state and Florida and in its 107-year history, its never been as low in Seminole County as it is today, Lemma said. Ron DeSantis and his wife praised the Seminole County Sheriffs Office work with a number of agencies to mitigate substance and domestic abuse from different angles. To report suspected abuse to the Florida Department of Children and Families call 1-800-962-2873 or report abuse online by clicking here.
Seminole County provides updates on school preperations
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. Leaders in Seminole County are expected to hold a news conference Friday to discuss new updates regarding safety and school preparations ahead of the 2020 school year. The discussion will include updates from Superintendent Dr. Walt Griffin, Seminole County, Sheriff Dennis Lemma, School Board Chair Karen Almond and School Safety & Security Director Captain Rick Francis. You can watch the live news conference in the video player atop this story. Check back here for updates following the news conference.
New code red drill protocol announced after Lake Brantley High incident
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. โ After an unannounced code red drill at Lake Brantley High School caused panic among students, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma announced a new protocol going forward. Pre-planned code red drills will also still take place. The bottom line is this โ we are no longer going to do these unannounced Code Red drills in that manner anymore," Lemma wrote in a news release. On Thursday, an unannounced code red drill was held at Lake Brantley High School. "I want to highlight the positive working relationship that the Seminole County Sheriffโs Office has with the Seminole County Public Schools.