Orange County Sheriff's Office (Florida)

The first sheriff of Orange County dates from the earliest days of Florida's statehood in 1845. On January 31, 1845, the area known as Mosquito County in Territorial Florida was renamed Orange County, a name reflective of the spreading blanket of orange groves throughout the region. Less than six weeks later, on March 3, 1845, Florida's status as a territory was changed to that of statehood. The first statewide election was conducted on May 26, 1845. William Henry Williams was elected to serve as Orange County's first sheriff.^[1]

Since 1845, numerous prominent individuals have held the position of the Orange County Sheriff, including David William Mizell. Mizell was the only sheriff killed in the line of duty. There have been numerous theories and tales regarding the story which led to his demise, ranging from the local tradition of the Barber–Mizell feud to Reconstruction politics to a lawman simply attempting to do his additional duty of levying fines and collecting taxes.

In 2000, during a hostage standoff in Orlando, a SWAT team sniper accidentally shot a hostage instead of the hostage-taker. The city and the OCSO settled with the hostage's family for $3.9 million dollars, with OCSO paying $1.9 million.^[2][3]

In 2004, state senator Gary Siplin stated that the OCSO routinely used deadly force against unarmed African Americans.^[4]

Together with the Orlando Police Department, the OCSO responded to the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting.^[5]

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Barber–Mizell feud

Barber–Mizell feud

The Barber–Mizell feud was a feud in Brevard and Orange counties, Florida in 1870 resulting in 41 deaths and no criminal convictions that arose when cattle baron Mose Barber disputed the jurisdiction of Orange County Sheriff and tax collector David Mizell over his land. When Mizell rode to collect taxes from Barber, he was waylaid and killed. In the resultant feud, 41 men were killed.

Gary Siplin

Gary Siplin

Gary Anthony Siplin was a Democratic member of the Florida Senate, representing the 19th District from 2003. Previously he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 through 2002.

African Americans

African Americans

African Americans are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from any of the black racial groups of Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslaved Africans who are from the United States.

Orlando Police Department

Orlando Police Department

The Orlando Police Department (OPD) is responsible for law enforcement within the city limits of Orlando, Florida. The OPD employs over 800 sworn officers and over 150 civilian employees serving the citizens of Orlando through crime prevention, criminal investigations, and apprehension, neighborhood policing, involvement through the schools with young people and overall delivery of police services.

Orlando nightclub shooting

Orlando nightclub shooting

On June 12, 2016, Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old man, killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States. Orlando Police officers shot and killed him after a three-hour standoff.

Since 1870, one Sheriff, 17 Deputy Sheriffs, and one Corrections Officer have died in the line of duty.^[6]

1. Sheriff David W. L. Mizell^[7]
EOW: Monday, February 21, 1870
Cause: Gunfire

2. Deputy Sheriff Bobby L. Corley, Sr.^[8]
EOW: Sunday, August 8, 1965
Cause: Vehicular assault

3. Deputy Sheriff Samuel Parker, Jr.^[9]
EOW: Thursday, January 23, 1975
Cause: Motorcycle accident

4. Deputy Sheriff Arnold William Wilkerson^[10]
EOW: Tuesday, January 10, 1984
Cause: Gunfire

5. Deputy Sheriff Frank Nelson Seton^[11]
EOW: Wednesday, January 4, 1989
Cause: Fall

6. Deputy Sheriff Thomas Allen Ingram^[12]
EOW: Saturday, May 12, 1990
Cause: Vehicular assault

7. Deputy Sheriff Harry Jordan Dalton, Jr.^[13]
EOW: Monday, March 25, 1991
Cause: Gunfire

8.Deputy Sheriff John Joseph Creegan^[14]
EOW: Wednesday, May 29, 1996
Cause: Vehicular assault

9. Deputy Sheriff Grady Terrill Braddock^[15]
EOW: Wednesday, May 27, 1998
Cause: Vehicular assault

10. Deputy Sheriff John Harold Hollomon^[16]
EOW: Tuesday, December 15, 1998
Cause: Automobile accident

11. Deputy Sheriff James Marcus "Jimmy" Weaver^[17]
EOW: Monday, November 24, 2003
Cause: Struck by vehicle

12. Deputy Sheriff Mariano "Rocky" Lemus, Jr.^[18]
EOW: Friday, May 6, 2005
Cause: Duty related illness

13. Deputy Sheriff Michael Anthony Callin^[19]
EOW: Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Cause: Vehicular assault

14. Corrections Officer Mark Lindsey Parker^[20]
EOW: Thursday, March 19, 2009
Cause: Gunfire

15. Master Deputy Craig A. Heber^[21]
EOW: Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Cause: Heart attack

16. Deputy First Class Brandon Lee Coates^[22]
EOW: Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Cause: Gunfire

17. Detective Michael K. Erickson^[23]
EOW: Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Cause: Heart attack

18. Deputy Sheriff Jonathan Scott Pine^[24]
EOW: Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Cause: Gunfire

19. Deputy First Class Norman Lewis^[25]
EOW: Monday, January 9, 2017
Cause: Traffic Accident

• Sandy Adams, investigator, later member of the Florida House of Representatives (2002–2010) and US House (2011–2013)
• Kevin Beary, sheriff (1993–2009)
• Jerry Demings, sheriff (2009–2018)
• John W. Mina, sheriff (2019–present)

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Sandy Adams

Sandy Adams

Sandra Adams is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for Florida's 24th congressional district. She is a member of the Republican Party. She is a former law enforcement professional who represented District 33 in the Florida House of Representatives. On August 14, 2012, she was defeated in her bid for a second term in the Republican primary election by fellow Congressman John Mica after being redistricted to the 7th district.

Florida House of Representatives

Florida House of Representatives

The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted in 1968, defines the role of the Legislature and how it is to be constituted. The House is composed of 120 members, each elected from a single-member district with a population of approximately 180,000 residents. Legislative districts are drawn on the basis of population figures, provided by the federal decennial census. Representatives' terms begin immediately upon their election.

United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together, they comprise the national bicameral legislature of the United States.

Kevin Beary

Kevin Beary

Kevin Beary was Sheriff 1993-2009 of Orange County, Florida, United States, heading the Orange County Sheriff's Office, one of the largest law enforcement bodies in the Southeastern United States.

Jerry Demings

Jerry Demings

Jerry L. Demings is an American politician and former law enforcement officer serving as Mayor of Orange County, Florida, in office since 2018. A Democrat, he previously served as Sheriff of Orange County, Florida, from 2009 to December 2018, and served as Chief of the Orlando Police Department and Director of Public Safety for Orange County, Florida. He was elected Mayor of Orange County in August 2018, becoming the first Democrat and first African American to be elected to that office.

John W. Mina

John W. Mina

John W. Mina is an American law enforcement official. He serves as Sheriff of Orange County, Florida. He was elected in 2018. He served as the Chief of the Orlando Police Department from 2014 to 2018. He spent nearly 28 years at the Orlando Police Department before becoming Sheriff in 2018.