Lessons From an Officer Down and Traumatic Hostage Incident - Orlando, FL

In June of 2018, just two years after the PULS nightclub attacks, Orlando Police officers responded to a domestic violence call. As officers attempted to contact the suspect, he fired a shot though his door striking Officer Kevin Valencia with wounds that he would eventually succumb to. The suspect then barricaded in his apartment with his 4 children as hostages. This event, which would last more than 24 hours, proved extremely difficult and required the resources of both the Orlando Police Department SWAT Team and their partners from the Orange County Sherriff’s SWAT Team before finally reaching a tragic resolution. My guests today are Dep. Chief Jonathan Bigelow from the Orlando Police Department and Sgt. Chris Eklund with the Orange County Florida Sherriff’s Office to discuss the incident and share their lessons learned. This episode will be dedicated to the memory of Officer Kevin Valencia.