Two police officers have died after being shot Friday night in Kissimmee, Fla., in what the police chief said may have been an ambush while they were responding to a call complaining of suspicious activity on the city’s north side.
It was one of three cases on Friday night in which a total of six law enforcement officers were shot in Florida and Pennsylvania.
In Kissimmee, about 20 miles south of Orlando, the officers were found around 9:30 p.m. at the intersection of Palmway and East Cypress Streets after residents reported the shooting, Chief Jeffrey O’Dell said.
They were identified as Officer Matthew Baxter, who had been on the force for three years, and Sgt. Sam Howard, a 10-year veteran. Officer Baxter died shortly after the shooting and Sergeant Howard died Saturday afternoon.
Everett Glenn Miller was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, Chief O’Dell said at a news conference on Saturday morning. He was being brought to jail in Officer Baxter’s handcuffs, the chief said.
The shooting occurred during what Chief O’Dell called a “consensual encounter to get out and check.”
“Nobody was being placed in handcuffs,” the chief said. “If all things checked out, the officers would have been on their way.”
Chief O’Dell: This is a tough time in law enforcement. I would ask that you pray for the men and women of law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/MEp056LfSm
— Kissimmee Police (@kissimmeepolice) August 19, 2017
Chief O’Dell said officers are often called to North Kissimmee. Residents, he said, “get tired of putting up with some of the drug dealing and nonsense that goes on in the neighborhood.”
He added, “And we’re doing our part to try to keep them safe, and then we have this tonight.”
In a statement, Gov. Rick Scott said: “Today, I join every Floridian to honor these law enforcement officers, their brothers and sisters in uniform, and their families,” adding that the episode should “be a constant reminder of the sacrifice of those who serve to keep us safe.”
President Trump weighed in on Twitter early Saturday morning: “My thoughts and prayers are with the @KissimmeePolice and their loved ones. We are with you!”