Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 9-23-22

Features
Tampa Police Safety Coordinator Named ‘Officer Of The Year’
Rogers Park Golf Course History Author Will Have Book Signing This Weekend
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Earlier this month, the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Po- lice Education & Research, Inc., recognized Officer Gig Brown as the “Officer of the Year.” Officer Brown was presented an award dur- ing the ceremony.
A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Officer Brown and his family moved to Tampa when he was a youngster. He attended the public schools of Hillsborough County, and graduated from Hillsborough High School.
After graduation, he at- tended Temple University, where he earned his under- graduate degree in Jazz Per- formance. He earned his Master’s Degree in Jazz His- tory and Research Techniques from Rutgers.
Officer Brown then launched his career as an in- structor, obtaining a job as a teacher at Oak Grove Middle School. He was the evening Classical Music announcer for WUSF and worked for stations in Philly, Newark and Las Vegas.
A career change came in 2010 when he accepted a posi- tion with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Two
Officer Gig Brown, center, was recently named “Officer of the Year.” He is shown with, former St. Petersburg Police Chief David Romine, Secretary of the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Founda- tion & Research, Inc., left, and Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor.
years later, he applied and was accepted at the Tampa Police Department.
“When I received my pack- age at TPD, in 2012 my badge number was 222 and my birth- day is February 22nd. I knew I was where I was supposed to be,” he said.
Being chosen as “Officer of the Year,” Officer Brown said, “I think it is a great honor and I am humbled to be recognized. I’m thankful that the situation played out the way it did. No one was in- jured, and the shooter was
taken into custody.”
The father of three sons,
Officer Brown has been married to Mrs. Moniquie Brown for the past 22 years. In his spare time, the Coordi- nator of the Tampa Police De- partment’s Tampa S.A.F.E. and Business Watch Pro- grams, coaches track and field for the Running Tigers, and coordinates Badges for Base- ball program for TPD.
A member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Offi- cer Brown considers law en- forcement as his second career.
The date was August 21, 2021, about 6:45 p. m. The Tampa Police Department began receiving numerous calls about shots fired at the Metro 510 Apartments, 510 E. Harrison Street.
Tampa Police Officer Gig Brown was nearby and on his way to the gym. Officer Brown responded and en- tered the courtyard area. He observed a 22-year-old man walking on the 5th floor. At the time, the man was armed with a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun. Officer Brown had heard the shooting and his training took over.
He engaged the suspect and the man discarded the weapons before fleeing into an apartment. By that time, other officers converged on the scene and searched the build- ing for the active shooter. The story ended with the man con- fessing to the shooting, told them he was upset over things going wrong in his life, and that he had been served an eviction notice.
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
Rogers Park Golf Course, the historic 18-hole golf course has been memorialized in a new book by Lionel Ballard, entitled Rogers Park Golf Course, 18 Holes of His- tory.
The book, coauthored by noted Tampa historian, Er- sula Odom, will be presented to the family of G.D. Rogers, the golf course’s namesake.
The book will be released at the Book signing party on September 24, 2022, at the Rogers Park Club-
LIONEL BALLARD
.... Author of Rogers Park Golf Course, 18 Holes Of History
house. The event will be from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
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