Fallen law enforcement officers honored at annual Pinellas County Sheriffâs Office memorial service
Dan Matics reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office held its annual fallen officer memorial service Wednesday morning.
A 21-gun-salute, helicopter flyover and the playing of taps were just a few of the honors given to 26 law enforcement officers in Pinellas County who have died in the line of duty. The list starts back in 1905 and the most recent name was added in February of this year when the agency lost Deputy Michael Magli.
His wife Stephanie shared, As hard as events like this are, it’s events like these that will remind my daughters what a forever hero he was in the community.
Updated: 1:12 PM EDT May 12, 2021
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. The Pinellas County Sheriff s Office spent Wednesday morning honoring the 26 fallen law enforcement officers in the county since 1905 with a memorial.
Those gathered for the 31st Annual Pinellas County Fallen Law Enforcement Memorial remembered the local heroes who died in the line of duty with a wreath-laying, Taps, bagpipes, fly-over and a 21-gun salute. A hero remembered never dies, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during his remarks.
Gualtieri honored those who have lost their lives and their families whose lives have also been forever altered. Some say time heals. No, it really doesn t, he added.
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and last updated 2021-05-13 18:44:38-04
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. â On the fourth floor of the St. Petersburg Police Department s parking garage, more than a dozen people in a different kind of uniform were waiting for their day to start.
The team of social workers and mental health experts had on their new grey polo shirts with the letters CALL embroidered on the chest. It stands for Community Assistance and Life Liaison. CALL is a pilot program that makes sweeping changes to how police will protect and serve the community. Announced in July of 2020, the program finally got underway in February of this year following some delays.
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Gregory Thompson has been charged with sexual batter with a deadly weapon in connection to an assault that took place Nov. 15, 1999, in Dunedin. (Pinellas Sheriff)
DUNEDIN, FL A 59-year-old Clearwater man is accused of committing a sexual battery in Dunedin in 1999 after DNA evidence was recently retested.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff s Office, Gregory Thompson has been charged with sexual batter with a deadly weapon in connection to an assault that took place Nov. 15, 1999, in Dunedin.
Deputies said a 30-year-old woman left her house for a short while, leaving the door unlocked. While she was gone, a man slipped inside the house. When she returned, he threatened her with a knife and sexually battered her. He then ordered her to shower to destroy the evidence.
Tampa Bay cops take steps to reach Hispanics, starting with social media
The challenge is greatest in Hillsborough County, where nearly a third of the population is Hispanic. One question for communities: Whether agencies do immigration enforcement.
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Natalia Verdina, left, heads up the new social media program with the Hillsborough County Sheriff s Office. Among those featured in department videos is Deputy Lorette Choli Nordelo, right. [ JUAN CARLOS CHAVEZ | Times ]
Published May 10
Deputy Lorette âCholiâ Nordelo works the night shift patrolling the Town Nâ Country area, where speaking Spanish enables her to connect with people she meets on the job.
âIt is a blessing to be able to help the Latino people in my community,â says Nordelo, 31 who came to the United States from Ecuador at age 10. âLanguage barriers donât matter. We will always find any way to help them.â