Page 37 - Florida Sentinel 12-31-21

Crime
Man Dies After Being Shot In North Tampa Park
The unidentified man was shot while at the Takomah Park Tuesday afternoon.
Police Cpl. Arrested For Battery; Placed
CPL. JOHN SIMPKINS
A veteran officer with the Tampa Police Department has been arrested. He has also been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
According to the Tampa Police Department, Cpl. John Simpkins was arrested Mon- day in reference to an incident that took place on December 23rd. The incident was domes- tic related. Cpl. Simpkins was off duty at the time of the offense. The incident was in- vestigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Cpl. Simpkins, who has been with the department since 2008, was charged with battery.
Interim Police Chief Rubin Delgado said, “This type of behavior will not be tol- erated by any employee with the Tampa Police Department.
“We take domestic violence very seriously and will always advocate on behalf of the vic- tim.”
Police Investigate Death Of Inmate
Police are investigating a shooting that resulted in a man’s death Tuesday. The shooting took place around 4 p. m.
According to the Tampa Police Department, officers were dispatched to the Takomah Trail Park, 10099 Takomah Trail, in reference to a shooting.
When they arrived, the of-
ficers discovered that one man had been shot while in- side the park. The unidenti- fied victim died of the gunshot wounds inside the park.
Detectives have launched an investigation into the death, and are looking for tips. Investigators do not be- lieve the public is in any dan- ger.
GERALD MOORE
Detectives investigating the death have found no evi- dence that Moore had been involved in any fights or suf- fered any injuries while in jail.
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of his death.
On Leave
The Pinellas County Sher- iff’s Office is investigating the death of an inmate. The de- ceased inmate has been iden- tified as 58-year-old Gerald Moore.
Moore was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on October 2, 2021. He was ar- rested on active warrants for failure to appear for violation of probation. The probation was the result of criminal mis- chief and resisting arrest with violence.
Moore reportedly became ill and was transferred to a local hospital on December 12, 2021. The day after Christmas, Moore was removed from life support. He died at 11:34 a. m.
$5,000 Reward
Offered For 2020
Gunshot Victim Dies At Local Hospital
The shooting took place in the 3400 block of Palencia Drive.
On December 24, 2020, Ms. Mabelle Cooper was shot and killed shortly after 5:40 p.m. outside of a resi- dence in the 1500 block of Amos Avenue. The murder remains unsolved and the Lakeland Police Department continues to seek information related to a homicide.
In partnership with Heart- land Crime Stoppers Florida, a reward of up to $5,000 is being offered to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in the shooting death of the 70-year-old Lakeland res- ident.
Ms. Cooper’s senseless death occurred following a disturbance that she was not involved in. Prior to the shooting, an altercation began in the area of Simpson Park, which carried over to the res- idence at the Amos Avenue lo- cation. Along with Ms. Cooper, three additional family members sustained in- juries from the shooting.
Ms. Cooper was a loving mother and grandmother tragically taken from her fam- ily due to senseless violence. She was an innocent victim. Ms. Cooper and her family deserve for the person(s) re- sponsible to be held account-
MAEBELLE COOPER
able.
Over the past 12 months,
detectives have investigated numerous leads and contin- ued to gather evidence. They continue to seek the public’s help in obtaining any addi- tional information to assist in arresting the person(s) re- sponsible. No tip is too small.
To remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward, contact Heartland Crime Stoppers Florida at 1-800- 226 TIPS (8477); or visit the website www.heartland- crimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip.”
Tipsters will always re- main anonymous when send- ing a tip through Crime Stoppers and could be eligible for a cash reward if the infor- mation leads to an arrest.
Christmas Eve Murder
The shooting that has left an unidentified man dead, took place early Monday. The victim has not been identi- fied and no arrests have been made.
According to the Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the 3400 block of Palencia Drive around 1 a. m., Monday.
When deputies arrived, they discovered that a man
had been shot. He was trans- ported to a local hospital, where he later died as a result of his injuries.
Detectives are currently investigating the shooting and said at this time, this ap- pears to be an isolated inci- dent.
No additional informa- tion was available at press time. This is an open and ac- tive investigation.
PAGE 22-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2021