Police say 64-year-old Dennis Turner, a 23-year department veteran, was killed outside a Kozart Street home on New Year’s Day.
ORLANDO, FL — A retired Orlando police officer was shot and killed on New Year’s Day during what investigators described as a family dispute outside a residence on Kozart Street, authorities said. The victim, Dennis Turner, 64, was found shortly after 7 p.m. on Jan. 1 and later pronounced dead at a hospital. A 58-year-old suspect was arrested hours later after fleeing the scene, police said.
Police identified the suspect as Jeffery London, who investigators say ran from the neighborhood following the shooting and was located with help from law enforcement in Polk and Highlands counties. Turner served 23 years with the Orlando Police Department and retired in 2018. Detectives are still documenting the exact relationship between the two men and what led to gunfire. The case moved quickly into a formal booking and charging stage, with London jailed on a murder count. The killing closes out a holiday marked by frequent fireworks in the area, which neighbors said initially masked the sound of shots.
Officers were dispatched around 6:58 p.m. after multiple reports of gunfire on Kozart Street, a residential block north of downtown. Turner was discovered on the ground outside the home and transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead later that evening. “I heard pops right before 7, and I figured it was New Year’s,” neighbor Randy Jones said. “Then the sirens came.” Police taped off the street, interviewed witnesses at the scene, and began a search for a man they quickly named as a suspect. By late night, authorities said London had been taken into custody outside the city limits.
Investigators said the preliminary evidence points to a dispute among family members that escalated into a shooting. London, 58, was booked on charges of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Property records list London as having ties to the Kozart Street address, according to police, and neighbors said he had been maintaining the home following his mother’s death. Former colleagues described Turner as a veteran officer who worked patrol and later as a school resource officer before retiring; he returned briefly in a reserve capacity. Police did not release details about how many shots were fired, who else was present, or what sparked the conflict, saying those points remain under investigation.
Turner retired from the department in 2018 after more than two decades of service. In 2019, during a short stint as a reserve officer, he drew scrutiny for arresting two elementary school students in separate incidents, a decision the agency later ruled violated policy requiring supervisor approval for arrests of children under 12. He was removed from that role afterward. Court records show a civil case tied to one of those arrests continued last year, even as Turner remained out of active law enforcement. The shooting on Jan. 1 is unrelated to those matters, but it places Turner back in the public eye under tragic circumstances that colleagues said overshadow the controversy.
As detectives process the scene and review statements, the Orlando Police Department said the investigation will include a detailed timeline of the dispute, forensic analysis of any recovered firearm, and additional interviews with relatives and neighbors. London was being held in the Highlands County jail, pending transport and court proceedings. A first appearance before a judge was expected over the weekend to address probable cause and pretrial detention. Police said they would release the 911 recordings and incident reports after required redactions. Any autopsy findings will be forwarded to prosecutors as they weigh formal filings.
On Kozart Street, crime-scene technicians photographed the front walk and collected evidence as dusk turned to night. “This is usually a quiet block,” said neighbor Michelle Barnes, who lives next door to the house long associated with London’s family. “It shocked us to hear someone we know accused of this.” Former police leaders offered condolences, calling Turner’s death a loss to colleagues and his family. Several residents described seeing patrol cars sweep the area and officers canvassing door to door for cameras or witnesses who might have captured the moments before the gunfire.
As of Sunday afternoon, police said the suspected shooter remained in custody and the department was preparing to release additional records in the coming days. Detectives have not outlined a motive beyond the family dispute. The next key step is London’s initial court appearance and any charging decisions from prosecutors early this week.
Author note: Last updated January 4, 2026.