Orlando community confronts Sheriff Mina over police murders
Orlando, FL – On July 16, community members and organizers with Orlando Against Police Crimes (OAPC) attended a spaghetti dinner hosted by a local news station to demand answers from Orange County Sheriff John Mina.
The mobilization, organized by OAPC, sought answers and accountability from Sheriff Mina regarding the victims of police crimes. The extrajudicial murders of Luis Lopez and Tyrone Bartley committed by the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) were emphasized.
During the Q&A portion of the dinner, Edmund Anglero of OAPC asked the sheriff, “When are you going to take meaningful steps towards holding the deputies who killed Luis Lopez and Tyrone Bartley accountable and will you commit to meeting with the families of the victims to answer their questions and hear their needs?”
OAPC organizers say they have been trying to contact Sheriff Mina for a few months now to no avail. Edmund Anglero further highlighted how the sheriff has been avoiding them, saying, “We are here today because we've exhausted all other channels to have our voices heard.”
Outside the community center, other community members were waiting with signs, banners and candles.
“We are gathered here today to mourn the lives of Luis Lopez and Tyrone Bartley,” said OAPC member Jacob Muldoon. “We have gone through every possible medium. We have attended the Civilian Advisory Committee, no answers. We have attended the county commission, no answers. We have tried to get a meeting with Sheriff Mina, no answers. The only answers we have received is, and I quote, 'it is not in the best interest of all parties involved to discuss this matter at this time.'”
After the dinner, the sheriff hurriedly left while chants of “How many more must die? Sheriff Mina, tell us why!” rang out in the background.
There have been seven deaths so far this year directly related to Orange County Sheriff's Office-involved shootings and no answers or accountability from the sheriff. With the OCSO's decision to release only edited bodycam footage regarding the case of Tyrone Bartley, many in the community are doubting the official narrative.