2021 Duty Officers of the Quarter

January through March | Regional Duty Officer Riley Reynolds     

Congratulations to Regional Duty Officer Riley Reynolds for being selected as the recipient of the Florida Highway Patrol Duty Officer of the Quarter from January through March 2021.

On March 23, 2021 Reynolds received a radio transmission from Trooper Rhoden advising a female approached him requesting Emergency Medical Services, stating she thinks she overdosed, then walked away. Reynolds requested EMS and relayed all information necessary when Trooper Rhoden advised that the female had a firearm. Reynolds promptly placed the channel on emergency traffic and started sending additional units to the scene. Trooper Rhoden then communicated that shots had been fired.

During the entire ordeal, Reynolds maintained her composure and portrayed a calm demeanor while getting all available resources to assist Trooper Rhoden. The subject engaged in a shootout with troopers for more than thirty minutes before she was taken into custody.

Reynolds is to be commended for performing her duties at an extraordinary level of skill and displaying steadfast ability in a lengthy stressful situation. Reynolds remained focused and maintained a professional demeanor while seamlessly coordinating the response. Reynolds is a true asset to the Florida Highway Patrol.

April through June | Regional Duty Officers Ghitza Serrano-Velez and Rachel Baez

Congratulations for being selected as the co-recipient of the Florida Highway Patrol Duty Officer of the Quarter from April through June 2021.

On June 13, 2021 RDO Rachel Baez received a 911 call from a seventeen-year-old female stating that her mother made threats to intentionally crash their vehicle and jump from a bridge while traveling on Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County. She obtained the vehicle’s location by listening to the WAZE driving directions in the background. The driver turned the radio up so that it would be difficult for her daughter to talk with you and the female was reassured that the loud music would not deter the response and that a trooper was already enroute.

Meanwhile, you dispatched units to the area as the vehicle traveled more than twenty miles along Interstate 95. A trooper located the vehicle and monitored it while waiting for backup units to assist. The caller disconnected and RDO Baez immediately reestablished a phone connection. She asked the female which hotel they were going to, but the female did not know. WAZE indicated that their exit was nearing, and you relayed that information to the responding units. You also notified the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office of the incident and the vehicle’s location as reported by WAZE. RDO Baez spoke with the driver and reassured her that she wasn’t in trouble and everyone was concerned for their safety. The driver stopped at a gas station on US-1 and was met by two troopers. The driver was assessed and an incident report was completed.

You and RDO Baez had been released from training less than two months prior to this event. You both worked in unison using your observation skills and training to ensure the safety and welfare of a teenager who was in a moving vehicle, at the mercy of a mother making suicidal threats.

Congratulations for being selected as the co-recipient of the Florida Highway Patrol Duty Officer of the Quarter from April through June 2021.

On June 13, 2021 you received a 911 call from a seventeen-year-old female stating that her mother made threats to intentionally crash their vehicle and jump from a bridge while traveling on Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County. You obtained the vehicle’s location by listening to the WAZE driving directions in the background. The driver turned the radio up so that it would be difficult for her daughter to talk with you. You reassured her that the loud music would not deter the response and that a trooper was already enroute.

Meanwhile, RDO Ghitza Serrano-Velez dispatched units to the area as the vehicle traveled more than twenty miles along Interstate 95. A trooper located the vehicle and monitored it while waiting for backup units to assist. The caller disconnected and you immediately reestablished a phone connection. You asked the female which hotel they were going to, but she did not know. WAZE indicated that their exit was nearing, and RDO Serrano-Velez relayed that information to the responding units. She also notified the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office of the incident and the vehicle’s location as reported by WAZE. You spoke with the driver and reassured her that she wasn’t in trouble and that everyone was concerned for their safety. The driver stopped at a gas station on US-1 and was met by two troopers. The driver was assessed and an incident report was completed.

You and RDO Serrano-Velez had been released from training less than two months prior to this event. You both worked in unison using your observation skills and training to ensure the safety and welfare of a teenager who was in a moving vehicle, at the mercy of a mother making suicidal threats.

July through September 2021 | Regional Duty Officer Will Watts

Congratulations for being selected as the recipient of the Florida Highway Patrol Duty Officer of the Quarter from July through September 2021.

On September 24, 2021 you were notified by Trooper Trenton Censon that Nassau County Deputy Joshua Moyers had been shot while conducting a traffic stop in Callahan, Florida. Deputy Moyers later succumbed to his injuries.

You demonstrated unerring attention to detail during this incident, with a constant focus on officer safety and law enforcement response, as was evidenced by your interactions with supporting agencies, most noteworthy, the Nassau County Sheriffs Office. You maintained control of the incident and made immediate documentation which assisted in the overall effort of responding agencies. This was done while keeping the chain of command informed and updated throughout the incident without a loss or degradation in other ongoing JRCC operations.

You went above and beyond the call of duty as your actions were paramount in facilitating the apprehension of one of the suspects.

You are commended for performing your duties at an extraordinary level of skill and displaying steadfast ability in a lengthy stressful situation. You are a true asset to the Jacksonville Regional Communications Center and the Florida Highway Patrol.

October through December | Regional Duty Officer Stephanie Sanchez

Congratulations for being selected as the recipient of the Florida Highway Patrol Communications Training Officer of the Quarter from October through December 2021.

On December 3, 2021 Regional Duty Officer Trainee Wendy Butler answered a telephone call on the turnpike where the caller stated that she believed she was overdosing on meth. You took over the call and immediately attempted to get the caller’s location. The caller was unaware of her exact location, so you walked the caller through trying to find her location using the maps function on her cell phone. Although she was unable to advise you of her location with this method you sent her a text message using the I911 website to obtain her location and utilized Intercity to raise Osceola County Sheriff’s Office to have them start fire rescue to the caller’s location. You obtained the caller’s vehicle type and her age and provided all details regarding the complainant’s location while remaining on the phone with the caller.

You continued to engage the caller, asking her questions regarding the time the drug was taken, what symptoms she was having, and the means in which she took the drug. You assured the caller that fire rescue and a trooper were on the way. You kept officer safety in mind and asked the caller questions about whether she had any weapons or needles on her person.

While waiting for help to arrive, you began speaking with the caller on a personal level and was extremely empathetic in your tone and listened to the caller speak about how her best friend just died of an overdose. You continued to listen and expressed to the caller that you wouldn’t want anything to happen to her and encouraged her to seek treatment. The call lasted for twenty-one minutes. During this time, you spoke in an endearing tone and did not cast any judgement on the caller, which helped in gaining the caller’s trust.

You are commended for managing this call with a professionalism and ease despite the call being an emergency call that you normally would not receive. You did an excellent job handling the call and acted swiftly to help save the caller’s life. You are a true asset to the SRCC and the Florida Highway Patrol.