THIS MONTH MARKS ONE YEAR
SINCE A HIGHLANDS DEPUTY WAS
SHOT AND KILLED.
8 ON YOUR SIDE INVESTIGATES
DEATHS IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
NEW DATA RELEASED BY THE FBI
SHOWS THE THE NUMBER OF
OFFICERS KILLED ACROSS THE
COUNTRY INCREASED LAST YEAR.
13 MORE OFFICERS WERE KILLED IN
2018 AS COMPARED TO THE YEAR
BEFORE.
HERE IN FLORIDA, WE LOST EIGHT
HEROES INCLUDING DEPUTY
WILLIAMGENTRY LAST YEAR.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER MAHSA
SAEIDI IS INVESTIGATING THE
MOST DANGEROUS TIME FOR THE MEN
AND WOMEN WHO PROTECT US EACH
DAY.
Reporter: EACH CASE IS
DIFFERENT.
THEY CAN HAPPEN QUICKLY AT ANY
TIME IN ANYPLACE.
IT WAS A SUNDAY IN MAY OF 2018.
THE DAY ITSELF IS KIND OF A
BLUR.
Reporter: DEPUTIES FROM
HIGHLANDS COUNTY RACED TO A
HOME IN LAKE PLACID.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE
THAT ALL OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN
THAT WERE THERE WERE OK.
Reporter: THESE ARE THE
FACES WE SAW ON THAT TRAGIC DAY
ONE YEAR AGO.
I WAS THE ONE THAT HAD TO GO
OUT AND GIVE THAT MESSAGE AND
THAT WAS TOUGH.
Reporter: FOR SHERIFF PAUL
BLACKMAN, IT BEGAN WITH A CALL
THAT A DEPUTY HAD BEEN SHOT.
YOU KNEW IT WAS BAD?
SURE.
Reporter: AS THE SHERIFF
MADE SURE THE SCENE WAS SECURE,
DEPUTY WILLIAM GENTRY WAS AT
THE FOREFRONT OF HIS MIND.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY
UNDERSTOOD I DIDN'T WANT
WILLIAM TO BE BY HIMSELF.
Reporter: FROM OUTSIDE THE
HOUSE, TO THE HELICOPTER TO THE
HOSPITAL, THEY WERE BY
WILLIAM'S SIDE EVERY SINGLE
SECOND.
IF HE DID KNOW WHAT WAS
GOING ON IN SOME SENSE, I
WANTED TO MAKE SURE SOMEONE WAS
THERE WITH HIM.
Reporter: WHY?
I JUST WOULDN'T WANT HIM TO
BE ALONE.
Reporter: DEPUTY GENTRY
WOULD NOT SURVIVE.
HE'S ONE OF FOUR FLORIDA
OFFICERS KILLED IN THE
FELONIOUS INCIDENT LAST YEAR.
ACCORDING TO THE FBI FROM 2009
TO 2018, OUR STATE LOST 29
OFFICERS LIKE THIS.
DATA FROM RECENT YEARS SHOWS
THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME IS WHEN
AN OFFICER IS INVOLVED IN A
TACTICAL SITUATION OR WHEN HE
OR SHE IS MAKING AN ARREST OR
CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION.
IN THIS CASE --
THIS WAS A SIMPLE
NEIGHBORHOOD DISPUTE OVER A
CAT.
Reporter: THAT DISPUTE LED
TO GENTRY'S DEATH.
A 40-YEAR-OLD WHO BY ALL
ACCOUNTS WAS HIGHLY EXPERIENCED
AND METHODICAL.
IT'S A TERRIFYING REMINDER FOR
THE 180 HIGHLANDS DEPUTIES LEFT
BEHIND.
IT COULD HAPPEN ANYWHERE ON
ANY CALL.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS
ROUTINE.
YOUR HEAD MASS TO HAS TO BE ON
A SWIVEL ALL THE TIME.
I STILL HAVE BAD NIGHTS
WHERE I CAN'T SLEEP.
Reporter: MANY SLEEPLESS
NIGHTS FOR FAMILY.
DEPUTY KEVIN GENTRY WORKED IN
THE SAME SHERIFF OFFICE AS HIS
BROTHER AND THE PAST 12 MONTHS
HE STEPPED UP TAKING CARE OF
HIS PARENTS, HIS BROTHER'S
HOUSE, AND BELOVED DOGS.
I HOPE THAT I'M DOING THE
RIGHT THINGS HERE WHILE I'M
HERE THAT WHEN MY DAY COMES,
I'LL SEE HIM AGAIN.
Reporter: LAST YEAR, WE ALSO
LOST FOUR MORE OFFICERS IN
ACCIDENTAL KILLINGS.
RIGHT NOW THE SUSPECT IN THIS
CASE JASON ABLES IS STILL BEING
HELD IN HIGHLANDS COUNTY.
THE DEPUTY SAYS IT'S DIFFICULT
FOR HIM BECAUSE HE WORKS THERE.
THE GUY ALLEGEDLY WHO DID THIS
IS BEING HELD THERE.
IT'S SAD THEN, BUT MORE SAD
NOW WATCHING THAT.
THE BAD GUY IN ALL OF THIS WAS
A CONVICTED FELON.
WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU LEARNED
ABOUT HIM?
HE WAS A CONVICTED FELON AND
THE SHERIFF OFFICE SAID HE HAD
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE TOWARDS
POLICE AND WAS ON PROBATION AND
THAT MEANS YOU CANNOT HAVE A
WEAPON.
ACROSS THE STATE, RIGHT NOW
THERE'S 19
1,699 THOUSAND PEOPLE BEING
SUPERVISED.
IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM YOU
