Council Expresses Sorrow, Calls for Unity, Gratitude After Officers' Shooting Deaths

ST. PETERSBURG - Thank a cop today.

 “I am asking the citizens of this community to say thank you the next time they see a police officer,” City Councilor Bill Dudley said today at a Council meeting.

People may not think of the dangers that St. Petersburg police officers face as a routine part of their job, but instead recall a speeding ticket, he said.

“Their jobs are much more than that,” Dudley said. “We lost two fine men who were husbands and fathers, sons and uncles. This community owes a debt of gratitude to them.”

Dudley’s comments were part of the condolences expressed by each City Councilor over the Jan. 24 shooting deaths of Sgt. Thomas Baitinger and K9-TAC Officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz. The two officers were fatally wounded when they responded to a call for backup assistance at a south St. Petersburg home.

Councilors took turns talking about their gratitude for the work of the police department and the sense of loss in the community. The Council also passed a formal resolution of bereavement recognizing the officers' service to the city and its citizens.

Councilor Wengay Newton represents south St. Petersburg, where the shooting occurred. Newton said he had just dropped off his daughter at school, when he learned of the early morning shootings.

Newton, the Council’s only African-American representative, emphasized the need for unity and healing. He said that the shooting of two white officers by a black gunman should not be seen through the prism of race.

He said the officers were following orders and doing their duty when they went to the home of Christine Lacy, seeking the whereabouts of her estranged husband, Hydra Lacy Jr., on an outstanding warrant. The officers did not realize when they arrived that Lacy -- a felon with an extensive criminal record -- was hiding in the attic and armed.

“These two men lost their lives because someone was determined not to face justice,” Newton said. “This is truly a sad day in St. Petersburg. Our peace officers take people people  into custody every day and they get their day in court. No matter their race, color or creed, there was a warrant for a felon to be arrested.”

“I pray that we move forward,” he said. “If we need to do anything we need to respect the law.”