The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is currently conducting an investigation into an officer involved shooting. As part of a 10th Judicial Circuit Court State Attorney Office investigation task force the Sheriff’s Office investigates all shootings involving law enforcement officers. This shooting took place in Davenport after a pursuit through Haines City. The incident culminated in the shooting of a seventeen year old suspect, Javier Najera, of Lake Hamilton by Haines City Police Officer Sean Bruner.
A video of the full press conference here:
Sheriff Grady Judd & HCPD Chief Goreck Brief Media
According to reports, around 7:00 pm last night, a Haines City Police Officer spotted a stolen vehicle. After calling for backup the officer attempted to pull over the stolen vehicle. That vehicle fled the officers. While fleeing the suspect vehicle struck a victim’s vehicle at Old Polk City Rd & Hwy 27. The pursuit ended in Davenport after a Haines City Officer used a PIT maneuver to stop the fleeing stolen vehicle.
Once stopped the passenger of the vehicle, Javier Najera, reportedly reached for a gun and was shot. The driver of the stolen vehicle, Victor Espinoza-Rodriguez, 19, was taken into custody. At the time of the press conference Najera was undergoing emergency surgery and was in critical condition.
This is a developing story and we will update as information becomes available.
Haines City Police Chief Greg Goreck and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd will brief the media on the scene of an officer-involved shooting involving the Haines City Police Department that occurred earlier this evening near Davenport. One suspect was shot and transported to a local hospital. No law enforcement officers were injured. The incident is being investigated by the 10th Judicial Circuit Officer Involved Deadly Incident Task Force.
The briefing will take place at 10:30 p.m. Friday, May 17, 2024. The media staging area is the grass median between the north and southbound lanes of US Hwy 27 in front of the PCSO mobile command center, just north of the intersection with Heller Brothers Blvd and south of Ernie Caldwell Blvd.
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Haines City Police Press Release
HAINES CITY, Fla. — The Haines City Police Department is currently investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred earlier this evening on US 27 near I-4. The scene remains active, and we are diligently working to gather all the details. More information will be shared later this evening. Chief Greg Goreck wants to reassure the community that all officers involved are safe, and the suspects have been taken into custody.
This is a developing story and we will update as information is released.
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We believe the incident started around 7pm and involved a chase from the Haines City area through to Davenport. The incident appears to have occurred at Hwy 27 & Deer Creek Blvd area.
Half of the members from the Boys and Girls Track Teams at Lake Wales High School will be racing to Jacksonville on Friday to compete in The FHSAA 3A Track and Field Championship.
“It is a reassuring feeling for me and my staff to have our athletes reach this level of success,” said Johnathon Feagin, Head Track and Field Coach.
Being able to see more than half his students qualify to compete more than met his expectations, which remain consistent each year: to keep his athletes performing at peak level so they can compete at the state level. Such consistent expectations always manage to produce consistent results, he explained.
“We want to attract talent and convince them that a state title is worth pursuing,” he said. “We all have the ability to work consistently towards any goal. Track is a talent sport, and when you are able to convince talent to work harder, you will begin to see some separation in fitness and performance.”
Feagin owes his fellow coach, Stanley Smith, for doing a phenomenal job preparing their athletes in both fitness and performance. Through such hard work and determination, they have managed to overcome their two-fold challenge of keeping their athletes healthy and training in a less-than-state-of-the-art facility.
“This season, we have had major setbacks on our boys’ team with CJ Brantley, Jayden Johnson, and Dylan Garcia getting injured during our push for the State Championship,” he explained. “We do not have an up-to-date synthetic track, which is ideal for sprint performance training, but we are doing our best with what we have.”
As his expectations for his runners always remain high, his expectations for them in the upcoming championship remain even higher. They overcame so many hurdles to reach this level, and they hope to overcome even more to make the championship.
“We expect our athletes to focus on competing, and not watching,” he said. “We are positioned to compete against the very best…[and while] this will be tough for us, given that we are small in numbers, but my athletes are trained and prepared to leave it all on the track.”
The FHSAA 3A Track and Field Championship will be held Friday, May 17 at the University of North Florida at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, FL.
The Traffic Homicide Unit from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash that occurred Tuesday morning, May 14, 2024 northeast of Lakeland.
Deputies, as well as Polk County Fire Rescue were dispatched at about 9:17 AM, to the crash scene at the intersection of Moore Road and Old Polk City Road.
Two vehicles were involved in the crash: a white 1970 Ford pickup truck and a red 2000 Sterling dump truck.
The 60-year old driver of the dump truck was not injured in the crash, but the driver of the Ford truck was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries; he passed away at about 11:38 AM. The victim was identified as 93-year old Carl Medlin of Polk City.
Prior to the crash, Mr. Medlin’s Ford was traveling west on Old Polk City Road, while the dump truck was traveling south on Moore Road.
According to the preliminary investigation, witness statements, and evidence, the dump truck did not come to a complete stop and proceeded into the intersection and into the path of the oncoming Ford.
Both drivers were wearing their seat belts, however the Ford truck was only equipped with a lap belt.
The intersection was closed for approximately four hours for the investigation, which remains ongoing.
Any citations and/or criminal charges are pending the outcome of the investigation.
I’m going to start this review with a confession: I have never played any of the Fallout video games. If you’re looking for a review from a diehard Fallout fan explaining how faithful the television show is to the video games, this is not the review for you. I’m simply reviewing this show on its own merits.
Having never played the games before, I know three things about the Fallout games:
1) They’re a first-person shooter that takes place within a post-apocalyptic setting.
2) Its mascot, Vault Boy, has become an iconic video game character alongside Mario and Sonic despite not actually being a playable character in the games.
3) Nuka-Cola looks refreshing and I want to taste it for myself.
Normally, I wouldn’t even watch a show like this. I only managed to do so because someone was nice enough to share their Amazon Prime account with me, and the internet has been raving about this show being an exceptional video game adaptation alongside the Super Mario Bros. Movie and the Last of Us.
So, I was curious and wanted to see what all the hype was about. So, is the Fallout show a great video game adaptation that lives up to the Fallout franchise? Or does this show deserve to be dumped and forgotten in a toxic landfill?
Fallout takes place 200 years after a nuclear war wiped out civilization. Mankind has been separated into two factions: Raiders, who live on the surface and scavenge for resources, and Vaulties, who live in underground Vaults, or fallout shelter communities, where they wait until radiation levels drop to a safe enough level for them to repopulate the world.
The show follows three main characters: Lucy, a Vaultie who sets off for the surface in search of her father, who was captured by Raiders; Maximus, a young soldier part of the Brotherhood of Steel, an organization that seeks out artifacts to help rebuild society; and The Ghoul, an undead bounty hunter who once lived as a famous Hollywood actor before the war.
Each of these characters is searching for a former government scientist who may or may not have secrets concerning the world before the war and the world as it currently exists. What secrets does this man hold? And will the three main characters learn to cooperate to uncover these secrets?
As of this review, I have only watched four of the eight episodes. However, the half of this series I have watched has certainly piqued my interest to want to watch the remaining half. Even as someone who has never played the game, while many references went over my head, I was able to intuit enough about the plot and setting to ascertain what was going on.
The show certainly captures the gritty setting of the Wasteland (as the surface world is called by the characters), as well as the tongue-in-cheek satirical nature of the Vaults, with its residents remaining loyally committed to maintaining the 1950s American way of life. Helping to
accentuate the Cold War-inspired post-apocalyptic setting are the occasional jazz musical cues which add a nice touch.
Each of the three main characters has their own value system that guides their personal character arcs and often makes them butt heads with the other characters whenever their stories do intersect.
Lucy is an all-American girl committed to the all-American values of truth, justice, and the American way, as preserved by the lifestyle within the Vaults; yet despite her commitment to the “Golden Rule”, her experiences in the Wasteland force her to come to terms with her–for lack of a better term, privileged–upbringing and realize the world isn’t as clear cut as she was raised to believe. As such, she has to learn to adapt to her new surroundings to survive and find her father.
Maximus, likewise, is a character groomed into becoming a solider for what he sees as a noble cause; however, through his role as a squire, which has him assuming the role of the knight he had been made to serve after that knight’s life is cut short, he learns the noble warriors he has been trained to serve under are not as noble as he had initially assumed, which makes him question their “noble” cause.
Finally, The Ghoul is a rough-and-tumble bounty hunter who has adapted to the eat-or-be-eaten world of the Wasteland, as he is forced to scavenge for vials to help sustain himself. Through the series, he had flashbacks to his former life before the bombs fell, which offers a glimpse into the past and how the events unfolded that led to the show’s present reality.
Overall, whether or not Fallout is faithful to the video game franchise it is based upon, I honestly cannot tell. However, what little I have seen of the show has certainly piqued my interest in both the show and the games. Fallout has certainly earned its reputation as a “great” video game adaptation, and anyone who loves shows like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us can certainly consider adding this show to their watchlist.
The Polk County Fire Rescue is currently on scene of a fully involved structure fire on Avenue C in Lake Wales (it is off Waverly Rd.). The call came in at 12:55am.
A Captain of the Polk County Fire Rescue could be heard over the radio relaying information to the two battalion Chiefs headed to the fire.
Power lines are down in the back of the structure. They are currently checking for any victims in secondary structure. All occupants of the main structure have been accounted for at this time.
This is a developing story and we will update as more information becomes available.
The popular crab leg joint is shuttering dozens of locations as it continues to face financial headwinds. Reportedly equipment will be auctioned off.
On Monday, Red Lobster abruptly closed dozens of its locations, according to multiple reports. The closures come as the popular seafood chain has struggled in recent years with increasing financial challenges—one of which was the popularity of its Endless Shrimp Promotion which led to an $11 million quarterly loss in late 2023.
Currently Polk’s two locations, Winter Haven & Lakeland, are not listed as closing.
Red Lobsters Closing Across The Country
Due to these financial hardships, there have been ongoing rumors that Red Lobster is considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. And now CNN reports that Red Lobster is abruptly closing at least 48 of its nearly 650 restaurants.
TAGeX Brands, an auction company that specializes in restaurant and food auctions, has been brought in to sell off equipment from some of the closing locations.
So which Red Lobster restaurants are closing? Here are the Red Lobster locations that TAGeX is auctioning equipment from:
ALABAMA
Auburn
Decatur
CALIFORNIA
Redding
Rohnert Park
Sacramento
San Diego
Torrance
COLORADO
Denver
Lakewood
Lone Tree
Wheat Ridge
FLORIDA
Altamonte Springs
Gainesville
Hialeah
Largo
Orlando
GEORGIA
Athens
Roswell
Dublin
IDAHO
Lewiston
ILLINOIS
Bloomingdale
Danville
INDIANA
Indianapolis
Elkhart
IOWA
Council Bluffs
Waterloo
MARYLAND
Gaithersburg
Columbia
Silver Spring
Laurel
MICHIGAN
Fort Grant
MISSISSIPPI
D’lberville
NEW YORK
Amherst
Kingston
Rochester
NEW JERSEY
Ledgewood
NORTH DAKOTA
Grand Forks
OKLAHOMA
Lawton
SOUTH CAROLINA
Myrtle Beach
TEXAS
Lake Jackson
Longview
San Antonio
VIRGINIA
Colonial Heights
Williamsburg
Newport News
WASHINGTON
Silverdale
WISCONSIN
Wauwatosa
La Crosse
It should be noted that this list may not include all closing restaurants, so before you head off to your favorite Red Lobster location, it’s worth contacting the store to see if they are still open
LAKELAND, FL (May 10, 2024) – On May 9, 2024, at 9:21 p.m. officers were called to a shooting at 1689 Village Center Drive in Lakeland. The caller said he just shot his husband and identified himself as Gavin Miranda, age 27. Officers arrived and found the victim, Hugo Gomez, age 30, deceased in the living room, lying face down on the floor. The Lakeland Fire Department and Polk County Fire Rescue responded and pronounced Gomez deceased at the scene.
Detectives and Forensic Services responded and processed the scene. Miranda claimed the two had been in a physical altercation inside of the apartment in which Gomez choked him. Miranda disclosed he obtained a gun and shot Gomez multiple times. Evidence indicated Gomez was shot once to the front of his body, then after he fell to the ground was shot nine more times in the back. A 9mm handgun and fifteen spent bullet casings were found at the scene.
Based on the evidence discovered thus far, Miranda was arrested and charged with First Degree Murder. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Neal Robertson at [email protected] or 863-834-6971.
Here is an excerpt of the affidavit:
“On May 10, 2024, your affiant, Detective Neal Robertson was assigned to investigate this homicide incident that occurred at 1689 Village Center Drive Lakeland Florida. 33803 This was a domestic incident do to the victim and suspect being married and living together as a family.
On May 10, 2024, at 2141 hours, the Lakeland Police Department received a recorded 911 call from the suspect, Gavin Miranda stating that he just shot his husband/victim, Hugo Alberto Montero Gomez.
Miranda advised they had a physica altercation inside of the apartment. the victim pushed Miranda up against a wall, and started choking him. Miranda disclosed that he went for a gun and shot the victim multiple times emptying the whole clip into the victim(Victim shot the entire magazine of bullets into the victim). Miranda stated that the victim was not breathing, and he placed the firearm on the bed. Miranda Informed the 911 operator that him and the victim have been having marital issues, but this was the first time the verbal altercations turned physical.
Uniformed Patrol Officers arrived on scene, at 2128 hours and the suspect was placed into handcuffs for officer safety. The officers entered the apartment and observed a Hispanic male lying on the floor face down in the living room with multiple gunshot wounds to his back, leg and wrist.
The Lakeland Fire Department arrived on scene and pronounced the victim deceased at 2141 hours.
There were numerous spent shell casings located in the apartment close to the victim and a black in color firearm located in a bedroom on a bed with the slide locked back. A Uniform Patrol Officer read Gavin Miranda his Miranda Rights before he was asked any questions. Gavin Miranda invoked his Miranda Rights and wanted a lawyer present before any questions were asked. Based on the evidence at the scene. Officers placed Gavin Miranda under arrest.
On May 10, 2024, at 0149 hours. the Honorable Judge Dana Moore signed a residential search warrant for 1689 Village Center Drive, Lakeland, Florida. The search warrant was executed on the residential apartment. The 9mm handgun was collected from atop of the bed, 14 spent shell casings were collected, and nine projectile bullets were collected from around the victim. Your affiant counted eleven gunshot wounds to the victim’s body in total. Nine gunshot wounds to the back, one gunshot wound to the wrist and one gunshot wound to the back of the leg.
Based on the facts that the victim was shot nine times in the back while he was lying face down on the floor, which clearly means the victim was defenseless, and there were nine bullet holes through his body and into the floor shows that the defendant, Gavin Miranda was standing over the victim while he was shooting him. The defendant, Gavin Miranda will be criminally charged with first degree murder based on those facts. The Florida State Statute is 782.04 and it is a capital felony.
There was no criminal history documented on Gavin Miranda or the victim.
More Than 29 Show Animals Were Killed at This Lake Wales School. Here’s What You Can Do to Help.
by James Coulter
After several of their show animals were killed during an attack by stray dogs, this Lake Wales school’s agriculture program is seeking donations from the community to recover and rebuild.
On Thursday morning, Jennifer Williams, the Academic Dean of Agriculture at Bok Academy North in Lake Wales, received a distressing phone call from the school custodian.
She was informed that a pack of dogs had tunneled under the fence and snuck in to kill 29 of the school’s show animals.
The dogs had ripped apart the cages, killed all the baby chicks, and killed all of the show rabbits and chickens. They were about to tear into the goat pen when the custodian chased them off, Williams said.
“They [the dogs] actually broke the wire,” Williams said. “They pulled the wire apart to get into the cages because the cages were secured and locked. So they broke the cages.”
With most of their animals killed and their fencing and cages destroyed, Williams will need to have new fences and cages constructed and reinforced to ensure their new animals will be safe from any potential threats.
Bok Academy North’s chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) was named the premier chapter last year, and they will be named the premier chapter again this year in the state of Florida. They had also enrolled more than 200 entries in this year’s Polk County Youth Fair and went to state for citrus and land judging.
Their chapter has completed nine community service projects, which included collecting more than 1,200 toiletries and other essential items for needy families, raising $1,600 for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) K-9 unit, and performing monthly cleanups along Masterpiece Road, which they adopted to participate in Keep Polk County Beautiful.
Williams is seeking donations from the community. Williams will have a supply list made available to anyone who calls the school. Anyone interested can call the front desk at 863-232-4665.
“We appreciate any help the community can give us because we try to give back to the community when we can,” Williams said.
