Two Sanford police officers have parted ways with their department due to their handling of a violent incident at a local gas station. This situation has prompted a review of policies and procedures. The incident, which unfolded on June 1, 2024, at a RaceTrac gas station in Sanford, saw an employee attacked and held at knifepoint by a homeless man. Police Officer Dominick Delorbe, the first responder to the scene, hesitated to act despite the cries for help from the trapped clerk, as revealed in the internal investigation shared by WFTV.
Delorbe's inaction, departure, and additional disciplinary action against other officers mark a larger issue within the force's response protocols. The second officer, Geovanni Castro, arrived soon after Delorbe, yet failed to intervene, resulting in a 60-hour unpaid suspension and extending his probation period. The sequence of events that eventually led to the arrest of the assailant, by a separate squad of officers, took nearly three and a half minutes.
Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith has been transparent about the failings and the measures taken to address them. "The officers had a responsibility and a duty to act. They had a responsibility and duty to act if there was one officer or two officers. He knew that someone had already informed him that a situation had taken place," Chief Smith said, as WFTV reported.
The body camera footage is a stark testament to the severity of the incident, with the victim's pleas, "Sir. Please! Please let me go," echoing hauntingly as the officers hesitated. Other members of the Sanford Police Department, including a sergeant, a lieutenant, and a captain, were found not to have followed protocol and were subsequently issued letters of counseling. The department has since been proactive in revising its "active assailant training," with plans to ensure all officers undergo a second training phase next month, according to details provided by WESH.
Meanwhile, the suspect identified as Randal Lawson is held in jail with a bond set at $50,000, awaiting trial for charges of aggravated battery, kidnapping, and resisting.
