Orlando Police Dept., sheriff's office recognized for help during hostage situation at jail

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - The Orange County chief of corrections is recognizing the Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for its help during a hostage situation at the jail last year.

FOX 35 obtained body cam video from last March that give us a look at tense moments during a hostage situation at the Orange County Jail. 

The video shows the suspect, Eric Stanley, holding a person at gunpoint.

"It was the worst day of my 30-plus career in criminal justice," Orange County Chief of Corrections Louis Quinones said.

Police said Stanley made it inside the jail with a gun that was not found when he was arrested. 

He held four people hostage for about an hour, a nurse, a police officer, a corrections officer and the other person Stanley was arrested with.

The body cam also shows the moment police apprehended Stanley.

"We do train for these kind of events, but training only goes so far," Orlando Police Deputy Chief Eric Smith said. "This is a dangerous situation. Everybody is at risk."

No one was hurt during the hostage situation. It was all hands on deck that day with Orlando police and deputies responded.

One year later, the chief of corrections presented each agency with an award thanking them for their efforts.

"It’s all about handling the situation," Deputy Chief Smith said. "It’s all about the training. The cooperation with other agencies to get the best result we can in a terrible situation."

The staff at the jail says they’ve made several policy changes since this incident to make sure it never happens again, which includes additional searches of the suspects before they enter the jail.