https://theworldwatch.com/tags/florida/ Sat 18 Jul 2026 06:46:32 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617664/orlando-police-activities/
Downtown Orlando is a challenging environment, and the Orlando Police Department remains focused on reducing crime through proactive enforcement. From January through June 2026, overall crime in Downtown Orlando decreased 19% compared to the same period last year. During this time, Orlando Police officers: •Made 1,712 arrests •Seized 69 illegal firearms •Investigated zero homicides •Reduced shootings by 100% •Reduced burglaries by 4% These results are driven by proactive policing, targeted enforcement, and officers who remain committed to identifying criminal activity, removing illegal guns from our streets, and holding offenders accountable. ]]> Fri 17 Jul 2026 22:25:02 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617664/orlando-police-activities/ https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617643/2-hillsborough-county-deputies-suspect-injured-in-ruskin-shooting/
RUSKIN, Fla. — Two Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputies were flown to Tampa General Hospital after they were shot during an encounter with a suspect in Ruskin on Thursday, authorities said. The shooting happened on West Shell Point Road. HCSO said the suspect was also shot and was transported to the hospital. Additional updates will be provided as they become available, the sheriff's office said. Gulf Coast News has reached out to HCSO for more information on the deputies' and suspect's conditions and what led to the incident. ]]> Thu 16 Jul 2026 23:46:03 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617643/2-hillsborough-county-deputies-suspect-injured-in-ruskin-shooting/ https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617607/florida-man-with-bogus-bladder-trying-to-beat-drug-test-busted-pulling-up-to-court-or/
PALM COAST, Fla. - A 52-year-old Palm Coast man serving probation for multiple burglaries and thefts faces a slew of new charges after deputies caught him arriving for a court-ordered drug test with a concealed device designed to fake his urine sample. On Tuesday, July 14, a Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputy stopped 52-year-old James Shepard as he pulled up to his court-ordered drug class. Deputies arrested him after discovering he drove to the facility on a suspended license, violating his felony probation. Once in custody, deputies said they found a device strapped to his groin designed to falsify drug tests. The device included a heating pad, fake urine, and an artificial tube designed to pass off the sample during testing. Officials have not confirmed whether Shepard used the artificial device during previous court-ordered drug screenings. Sheriff Rick Staly statement While he was being taken to the jail, deputies said Shepard complained of shoulder pain, prompting the deputy to move his handcuffs to the front of his body. Investigators said Shepard used his freed hands to pull the concealed apparatus from his pants and drop it onto the floorboard of the patrol car, later claiming it did not belong to him. "This pee-brain dirtbag had already been given the deal of a lifetime, walking around on community control when he should have been sitting in a prison cell for almost a decade," Sheriff Rick Staly said. "Shepard terrorized our home construction businesses and had stolen enough appliances to open an appliance store but was only sentenced to community control when his own sentencing scoresheet had him eligible for a minimum of nine years in prison. Now he has a stream of new charges after flushing away a second chance to turn his life around. Instead, he tried to trick the system. Now he needs to go to prison!" Deputies booked Shepard into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he remains held on no bond. He faces charges of driving without a valid license, violating his probation, defrauding a drug test, and tampering with evidence. ]]> Thu 16 Jul 2026 09:31:03 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617607/florida-man-with-bogus-bladder-trying-to-beat-drug-test-busted-pulling-up-to-court-or/ https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617604/blue-angels-conducting-review-after-jet-flies-over-florida-beachgoers/
Officials with the U.S. Navy's elite Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron said they're conducting a review after social media footage showed a jet flying low over a crowd of beachgoers in Pensacola Beach, Florida, on Wednesday morning. "During an arrival maneuver, an aircraft flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas," the statement said, calling it a "low-altitude pass." ]]> Thu 16 Jul 2026 08:48:03 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617604/blue-angels-conducting-review-after-jet-flies-over-florida-beachgoers/ https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617603/florida-woman-accused-of-posts-sexual-videos-with-animals-online/
MILTON, Fla. -- A 24-year-old woman in Santa Rosa County is accused of possessing obscene material depicting child sexual abuse and animal bestiality, while engaging in sexual activity with her dog. Vallen Ada Marie Hrabb was arrested Monday on 26 felony charges including: • sexual contact with an animal (3 counts) • filming and possessing animal sex activity (20 counts) • possessing child pornography (2 counts) • use of a two-way device to commit a felony (1 count) Detectives traced the account to Hrabb by matching her social media with the Snapchat account. Several other files showing child pornography and animal bestiality were uncovered. Multiple videos show what appears to be a husky having sexual intercourse with a woman who looks like Hrabb. Her tattoo matched that of the account owner. Investigators interviewed Hrabb about child sexual abuse files linked to a Snapchat account, and she responded "yes" when asked if she knew of this. ]]> Thu 16 Jul 2026 08:37:05 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617603/florida-woman-accused-of-posts-sexual-videos-with-animals-online/ https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617573/jacksonville-officer-arrested-after-bodycam-shows-handcuffed-man-punched-during-arres/
Jacksonville, Florida — July 13, 2026: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) Officer Shane Saydek, 43, was captured on body-worn camera striking a handcuffed detainee twice during the booking process at the agency's sally port, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. The detainee, 43-year-old Kaashif Griffin, had been arrested earlier that day on charges of possession of an open container in a vehicle and resisting an officer without violence. JSO said Griffin appeared to be extremely intoxicated, incoherent, and was being processed for fingerprinting when the incident occurred. According to investigators, Saydek repeatedly instructed Griffin to stop moving his fingers and warned him that he would be struck if he continued. Saydek also alleged Griffin had scratched him during the fingerprinting process. Body-worn camera footage shows Saydek punching Griffin twice in the head and face while Griffin remained handcuffed. JSO stated Griffin did not appear to be combative at the time of the incident and did not suffer injuries requiring medical treatment. A second officer who witnessed the incident immediately reported Saydek's actions through the chain of command, prompting an investigation by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Integrity Unit. On July 14, 2026, investigators arrested Saydek on one count of battery, a first-degree misdemeanor. The Sheriff's Office stripped him of his law enforcement authority, placed him on suspension, and announced it will seek his termination. ]]> Wed 15 Jul 2026 21:48:03 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617573/jacksonville-officer-arrested-after-bodycam-shows-handcuffed-man-punched-during-arres/ https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617564/florida-19-year-old-teen-using-a-fake-id-gets-charged-with-brawling/
admits to being lit, and worries about missing Thanksgiving ]]> Wed 15 Jul 2026 16:43:03 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617564/florida-19-year-old-teen-using-a-fake-id-gets-charged-with-brawling/ https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617548/three-teenagers-arrested-after-pointing-bb-guns-at-hcso-aviation-unit/
Hillsborough County, FL - On July 11, 2026, at 1:40 a.m., The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office responded to the area of East 148th Avenue in Lutz regarding a prowler call for service. Before deputies arrived, the caller reported seeing three individuals walking through the neighborhood carrying what appeared to be rifles. When our Aviation Unit responded, pilots quickly located the three individuals, who then pointed the apparent firearms directly at the helicopter before entering a nearby residence. Deputies on the ground gave commands for Jertrell Hamilton, 19, Javis Hamilton, 15, and Brayden Eason, 15, to exit the residence. All three complied without incident. During the investigation, it was determined the weapons were BB guns. "Our deputies make split-second decisions every day to protect this community, and we have zero tolerance for anyone who points what appears to be a weapon at them, whether they're on the ground or in the air," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "If you aim what looks like a rifle at one of our deputies or our Aviation Unit, expect our immediate response and to be held fully accountable for your actions." All three teenagers were arrested and charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer with a Deadly Weapon. ]]> Wed 15 Jul 2026 12:34:02 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617548/three-teenagers-arrested-after-pointing-bb-guns-at-hcso-aviation-unit/ https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617533/palm-coast-woman-accused-of-kicking-deputy-slipping-out-of-handcuffs-during-arrest/
Palm Coast, FL - On Saturday, July 11, deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at a Palm Coast home and arrested a woman who kicked one deputy then slipped out of her handcuffs before grabbing another. Shortly before 5 p.m., deputies responded to a residence in Palm Coast for a report of a verbal argument. While in the driveway, a man told deputies that he and his girlfriend were involved in an argument after he decided to pack his clothes and move out. According to the victim, he stepped into the bedroom closet to gather his things when Sofiya Zvarych, 34, of Palm Coast, pushed him then briefly blocked him from leaving the closet before he slid past her and walked out to his truck. When a deputy asked Zvarych what had happened, she stated that she did not know why deputies were there, refused to provide her identification, and said she would only speak with a female deputy before slamming the door shut. A second deputy contacted Zvarych to get her account of the incident, but she was belligerent, and, after being told she was under arrest for domestic battery and false imprisonment, Zvarych became physically aggressive, actively resisting arrest and kicking one deputy in the thigh. Once in the back seat of the patrol car, Zvarych slipped out of her handcuffs. When deputies had her step out to secure them, she resisted and grabbed another deputy by the hand. Deputies then subdued her, handcuffed her again, and placed her back in the patrol car where she became increasingly belligerent, cursing at deputies and calling them names. Zvarych remained combative on the way to the jail. “Our deputies came to calm down a verbal dispute, and she chose to thank them with a foul mouth and then thought she could kick her way out of being arrested and slipped her handcuffs,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “But she’s no Harry Houdini, and those magic tricks never work. Fighting with our deputies just adds charges and guarantees a trip to the Green Roof Inn." Deputies arrested Zvarych for domestic battery, false imprisonment, resisting an officer with violence, and battery on a law enforcement officer. She was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she was later released on an $8,000 bond ]]> Tue 14 Jul 2026 23:24:39 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617533/palm-coast-woman-accused-of-kicking-deputy-slipping-out-of-handcuffs-during-arrest/ https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617532/florida-man-pulls-gun-at-publix-leads-reckless-chase-then-tackled-inside-walmart-wh/
Steven Sheehan, 39, of Dunnellon, was arrested on July 13, 2026, after a multi-county incident that began at a Publix in Citrus County. Sheehan pulled a gun during a dispute and told witnesses, “You better call the cops, I’m crazy.” He then fled in a red Mustang, driving erratically and running red lights on U.S. Route 19. Authorities briefly attempted a stop but called off the pursuit due to the danger to the public. Sheehan then drove to a Walmart in Brooksville, placed two firearms on the roof of his car, and ran inside holding a Bible. An unmarked Hernando County deputy tackled him inside the store and took him into custody. ]]> Tue 14 Jul 2026 23:15:02 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617532/florida-man-pulls-gun-at-publix-leads-reckless-chase-then-tackled-inside-walmart-wh/ https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617399/free-state-of-florida-is-putting-ai-powered-cameras-on-garbage-trucks-to-scan-for-code-violations/
Florida, is rolling out AI-powered cameras on its garbage trucks to scan properties for code violations, unpermitted renovations, & other issues. After installing FLOCK cameras on poles, the city is now adding mobile surveillance from trash trucks to monitor homes and yards. ]]> Fri 10 Jul 2026 09:30:07 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617399/free-state-of-florida-is-putting-ai-powered-cameras-on-garbage-trucks-to-scan-for-code-violations/ https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617368/woman-in-a-road-rage-incident-slashes-a-man-s-tires-and-drives-away/
Woman in a road rage incident slashes a man’s tires and drives away ]]> Thu 09 Jul 2026 10:51:02 +0200 https://theworldwatch.com/videos/1617368/woman-in-a-road-rage-incident-slashes-a-man-s-tires-and-drives-away/