Retired Orlando officer shot, killed in New Year's Day shooting: Who is Dennis Turner?

ORLANDO, Fla. - A retired Orlando police officer was shot and killed in a shooting on New Year's Day. 

The Orlando Police Department responded to a shooting on Kozart Street around 7 p.m., Jan 1, finding a 65-year-old gunshot victim on the ground. 

What we know:

Officers identified the man as Dennis Turner, a retired Orlando police officer who had served with the department for 23 years. 

Turner was transported to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries, Orlando Police said in a Jan. 2 news release. 

Police said the shooting stemmed from an argument with a family member, Jeffery London.

Who is Dennis Turner? 

Officer Turner worked for the Orlando Police Department for 23 years. 

He retired in 2018, but came back as a reserve officer until he was terminated a year later. His personnel file with Orlando Police was largely full of accolades and glowing reviews. 

Dennis Turner was described as an officer who takes innovative action and takes training and education opportunities to improve his professional expertise, Turner's 2017 End of Year review with the department said. He was called a "pleasure to work with," his manager said in the review. 

Turner exceeded standards in dependability and interpersonal relations. 

Turner also worked closely with technology, including the department's Law Enforcement Records Management System, body-worn cameras, license plate readers, fingerprint scanners and wireless technology, his department review said. 

After his retirement from the department, Turner worked for Orlando airport police and as a school resource officer in Orlando schools. 

Previous disciplinary action, firing

Turner's personnel file also had twelve citizen complaints and two notable incidents that led to disciplinary action, and ultimately his firing.

He was fired from the department following an investigation in 2019 after he arrested and charged two children – ages six and eight – with a misdemeanor in unrelated crimes, an OPD spokesperson confirmed at the time. Turner arrested two students at an Orlando charter school without receiving approval from a Watch Commander, which is required as part of the policy when arresting minors under the age of 12. 

The children were immediately released once a supervisor was made aware of the arrests.

Sen. Randolph Bracy III spoke out about the kids' arrest, advocating for a bill that would prevent children under 12-years-old from being arrested. 

Former Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón, who retired in 2022 and served with Turner – connected Turner, who died in Thursday's shooting to this 2019 incident. 

After his firing, the department changed the policy to say those approvals have to come from the deputy chief.

Turner had also been disciplined before that for tasing a man five times – a man who the department said was not resisting arrest. In two of the five times the mab was tased, the suspect was already on the ground and posed no threat, police said. 

Former Orlando police chief shares his experience of working with Turner

Former Police Chief Orlando Rolon remembers Turner as a good officer who created a system that helped the Department write affidavits more efficiently.

But he also remembers the incident that led him to fire Turner.

"Unfortunately, sometimes when people have exercised poor judgment, there's so much great that they may have been responsible for that unfortunately is tarnished by those ill decisions," Rolon said. "There was another side of Officer Turner that I got to see as an early, early officer, early sergeant within the department where I saw his great work."

Shooting suspect arrested

The suspect – identified as Jeffery London, 58 – was stopped during a traffic stop in Sebring and brought to the Highlands County Jail.

London faces a first-degree murder charge and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He had been adjudicated guilty in the past on weapons charges.
London has his first appearance in front of a judge on Saturday, January 3.

Crime and Public Safety