2 Sanford police officers resign following mishandled hostage response, chief says
The Brief
Two Sanford police officers are out after a delayed response to a gas station hostage crisis.
An internal review spurred disciplinary actions and department reforms.
Chief Cecil Smith pledges policy changes as the suspect remains jailed.
SANFORD, Fla. - Two Sanford Police officers have stepped down following an internal investigation into the department's delayed response to a 2024 hostage situation at a local gas station, where a woman was held at knifepoint in a bathroom.
What we know
Two Sanford Police officers have left the department following an internal investigation into their response to a 2024 hostage situation involving a woman held at knifepoint in a gas station bathroom. Body camera footage showed a nearly five-minute delay before officers entered to stop the threat.
At a news conference on Thursday, Sanford Police Chief Smith said the initial officers violated the department's Active Assailant Response Policy. The policy states that officers are to "immediately advance to attempt to stop the threat (i.e. Engage, apprehend, deadly force) without delay."
Chief Smith said Officer Dominick Delorbe was at the scene first. He was removed from duty during the investigation. He was about to be fired, but resigned.
Chief Smith said Officer Geovanni Castro arrived shortly after. Smith said Castro is a newer probation officer who was following orders since Delorbe was the senior officer. Castro received a five-day suspension without pay, his probation period was extended, and he was retrained in active assailant response.
Three supervisors — a sergeant, a lieutenant, and a captain — also received letters of reprimand for not following procedure to alert Chief Smith of the incident.
A sixth officer associated with the incident was the second to resign after they were caught on body camera making disparaging comments about the suspect's mental health.
What we don't know
The identity of the second officer who resigned after making a disparaging comment about the suspect's mental health has not been released. It is also unclear why the incident took nine months to reach the chief's attention, and what specific procedures failed in that time.
The backstory
Sanford Police responded to a hostage situation at a gas station in June 2024. An employee told 911 dispatch a coworker was lured into the bathroom by the suspect. The victim was reportedly slashed and being held at knife point.
Body camera video showed the first two officers on the scene discussing, waiting to breach the door until backup arrived. A third party acquired the body camera video and shared it online in March. Chief Smith said that's when he found out about the video and launched an internal investigation.
What they're saying
The incident took nearly a year to come to light and was only brought to Smith's attention nine months after it occurred.
"This was a mistake. It think one of the most important parts in any leadership is that you accept the fact that there is a problem and accept your portion of the problem and you correct issues to make sure it doesn't happen again. We have done that," said Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith. "We believe that we have taken the appropriate actions to deal with those circumstances. We appreciate the patience given by the community as we work through this investigation."
What's next
Chief Smith said he is requiring his supervisors to review body camera video more frequently to make sure they don't miss incidents and to make sure they are reported. The department also has its annual active assailant response training in June.
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The Source
This story was written based on information shared by the Sanford Police Department and from a news conference held on May 22, 2225, by Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith.
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