Arrest made of suspect involved in officer narcotic exposure
Press release from Gainesville Police Department
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On Sunday, August 28, 2022, at approximately 9:45 a.m., Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers were dispatched to Wawa, located at 1614 West University Avenue, after an employee reported that a suspect was stealing, making threats, and damaging the store’s property. The employee provided a description of the suspect, later identified as Reginald Turner Jr B/M DOB 8/6/89. Responding officers located and detained Turner in the area of 1300 West University Avenue. After being placed in handcuffs, Turner pulled away and ran. Officers immediately gave chase and Turner was apprehended a short distance away. Turner was in possession of various suspected narcotics, including a white powdery substance. The arresting officer transported Turner to jail while the assisting officer turned the evidence into GPD Property and Evidence secured storage.
At approximately 11:33 a.m., the officer who was at GPD Property and Evidence requested EMS, via the radio. Dispatchers recognized possible distress and conveyed this information to responding personnel. The officer was transported to the hospital. A short time later, the arresting officer at the jail began to experience negative health symptoms and was administered Narcan. EMS responded and transported the officer to the hospital. Turner was also transported to the hospital from the jail, where he was physically combative, striking a nurse. Turner was placed under a Baker Act, and a Sworn Complaint was filed for the criminal charges.
On August 30, an arrest warrant was signed and issued by the Honorable Judge Phillip Pena, with a bond amount of $18,500. On Friday, September 2, Turner came into GPD to collect his property and was subsequently arrested on his active warrant. During a search incident to arrest, Turner had more of the white powder-like substance on his person. Additional charges are pending when results come back from FDLE. Turner was transported to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Department of the Jail, in reference to his active warrant. Turner has been charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Resisting without Violence, Possession of Cannabis less than 20 grams, and Petit Theft.
As previously reported, both GPD officers were released from the hospital on the same day of the incident and continue to do well as of today. We are thankful for the swift actions of our fellow law enforcement officers, ASO Jail Staff, EMS, hospital staff, and Dispatchers. GPD would like to emphasize to our neighbors the dangers of illicit narcotics and chemical substances. Even a minor exposure can cause serious medical complications.
NAACP
NAACP nor BLM are coming to the aid of these throwaway kids, as the government tax credits have expired. More often than not, no father in the house.
It’s a National shame but the Democrats keep fueling the fire. It CAN be helped and prevented.
Stories like this everyday a young men with no formal education or a training roaming the streets and trying to find himself and instead he finds trouble he has no sense of direction and low self esteem and even if he tries to get a job to get on his feet with rent being at least 1000 a month its going to take almost 3 of his paychecks plus car insurance utilities gas food cell phone clothing home cleaning supplies and many more so this trend will continue unless as a society we come together and talk about it
How tragic that these wonderful people who dedicate their lives, and risk them daily for our safety have to be hospitalized because the whacked out drug addicted animals of our society exist