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  • Community holds vigil to remember tattoo artist who died after Orlando police standoff

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    NEXT 15 MINUTES. A COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER IN ORLANDO TONIGHT TO REMEMBER A YOUNG TATTOO ARTIST WHO THEY SAY WAS KILLED IN A POLICE INVOLVED SHOOTING DURING A RAID AT THAT BUSINESS. WESH TWO DAVID JONES HAS THE STORY. SAY THIS WOULD MEAN THAT OUR CHILDREN, OUR CHILDREN, NOT ON OUR WATCH, NOT ON OUR WATCH. A TEARFUL NIGHT OF REMEMBRANCE FOR A 20 YEAR OLD TATTOO ARTIST NAMED CALEB WILLIAMS. WE STAND, WE STAND. OUT. WE STAND. SAY LOUDER. WE STAND. THEY MARKED THE VIGIL WITH A BALLOON RELEASE HONORING THE YOUNG FATHER. THEY SAY WILLIAMS WAS AN INNOCENT BYSTANDER IN FRIDAY’S STANDOFF, AND POLICE INVOLVED SHOOTING. YOU’RE FIGHTING TO PROTECT PEOPLE, NOT KILL THEM. FAMILY AND FRIENDS LENT WILLIAMS MOM, NATALIE BURCH, ESCRIBANO SUPPORT AS SHE DEMANDED ACCOUNTABILITY FOR HER SON’S SLAYING. THIS WAS NOT THIS WAS NOT MEANT FOR HIM. HE DIDN’T HAVE NO WARRANT. HE DIDN’T HE. HE WASN’T ARMED. THEY LITERALLY HE WAS AT THE WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME. HE WAS RIGHT, RIGHT BEHIND. HE WAS RIGHT BEHIND HIM. AND HE JUST HE JUST HE WAS JUST THERE. WESH TWO WAS OVER THE SCENE FRIDAY. IT WAS A SWAT STANDOFF. ORLANDO POLICE SAY THEY ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 2:00 IN THE AFTERNOON TO SERVE A WARRANT ON, QUOTE, MULTIPLE SUSPECTS. THEY GAVE RAP SHEETS FOR THE INDIVIDUALS, BUT DID NOT SAY IF ANY HAD BEEN ARRESTED. FOLLOWING THE STANDOFF AND A SHOOTING MINUTES AFTER THEY ARRIVED. THEY DIDN’T IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AT ALL. THERE WAS NO NOTHING, NO NOTHING. NOT ONE TIME, HE LITERALLY WAS JUST WALKING DOWN A HALLWAY AND CAUGHT THE BULLET, POLICE SAID. SOMEONE WENT OUTSIDE OF THE BUSINESS WITH A AK 47 STYLE RIFLE. OFFICERS SAY THEY SHOT AT THE SUSPECT AS THE INDIVIDUAL RETREATED INSIDE WHEN THEY MADE ENTRY. AN HOUR LATER, THEY SAY THEY FOUND A SUSPECT DEAD. WILLIAMS COMMUNITY SAYS HE WAS NEVER A SUSPECT SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE SCENE. HE WAS SERVING A WARRANT, A REAL WARRANT. YOU WOULD HAVE. OFFICER WOULD HAVE CAME IN AND GAVE IT TO YOU. YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO COME IN LIKE THAT IN DUE TIME. LIKE I SAID, I DON’T SAY, I DON’T SAY, LONG LIVE CALEB CAN. HE’S STILL STANDING WITH US. HE’S STILL STANDING HERE. BUT I PROMISE YOU, FOR HIS SON, FOR HIS MOTHER. WE’RE GOING TO SPEAK. COVERING ORA

    Community holds vigil to remember tattoo artist who died after Orlando police standoff

    Updated: 11:48 AM EST Nov 17, 2025

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    A tearful vigil held Sunday evening for a slain tattoo artist and young father culminated in a balloon release and calls for accountability in the SWAT standoff that ultimately took his life.Family identified the man who was killed during Friday’s police standoff as Kaleb Williams, a 20-year-old tattoo artist working at the parlor at Edgewater and Lee in Orlando. The Orlando Police Department said a search warrant was being served at the business around 2 p.m. Friday, and less than five minutes later, police opened fire from outside of the business as a person holding an “AK-47 style” rifle exited and then reentered the parlor.According to OPD, “multiple suspects” were being served a search warrant “related to drugs and firearms,” with the department also providing a lengthy rap sheet for the suspects.When police officers entered the business around an hour later, they found a person dead.Ultimately, OPD has not said whether anyone is in custody following Friday’s events.But the family of Williams disputed OPD’s account of what happened, saying their loved one was not a “suspect” and should have never died.”This was not meant for him,” said Williams’ mother, Natalie Birch-Escribano. “He didn’t have no warrant, he wasn’t armed, they literally, he was at the wrong place, wrong time.”Williams was at work doing tattoos at the time all of this went down Friday afternoon.”They didn’t identify themselves at all, at all. There was no nothing, no nothing,” she said. “He literally was just walking down a hallway and caught the bullets.”WESH 2 has followed up with OPD to ask about any arrests made, whether Williams was the subject of the search warrant, and whether police were still working to identify other suspects.But the department said Friday that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement would be handling the investigation of the events.”You’re fighting to protect people, not kill them!” said Williams’ best friend, Blair Gusmas. “I don’t say long live Kaleb, because he’s still standing with us. He’s still here. But I promise you, for his son, for his mother, we are going to speak.”

    A tearful vigil held Sunday evening for a slain tattoo artist and young father culminated in a balloon release and calls for accountability in the SWAT standoff that ultimately took his life.

    Family identified the man who was killed during Friday’s police standoff as Kaleb Williams, a 20-year-old tattoo artist working at the parlor at Edgewater and Lee in Orlando.

    The Orlando Police Department said a search warrant was being served at the business around 2 p.m. Friday, and less than five minutes later, police opened fire from outside of the business as a person holding an “AK-47 style” rifle exited and then reentered the parlor.

    According to OPD, “multiple suspects” were being served a search warrant “related to drugs and firearms,” with the department also providing a lengthy rap sheet for the suspects.

    When police officers entered the business around an hour later, they found a person dead.

    Ultimately, OPD has not said whether anyone is in custody following Friday’s events.

    But the family of Williams disputed OPD’s account of what happened, saying their loved one was not a “suspect” and should have never died.

    “This was not meant for him,” said Williams’ mother, Natalie Birch-Escribano. “He didn’t have no warrant, he wasn’t armed, they literally, he was at the wrong place, wrong time.”

    Williams was at work doing tattoos at the time all of this went down Friday afternoon.

    “They didn’t identify themselves at all, at all. There was no nothing, no nothing,” she said. “He literally was just walking down a hallway and caught the bullets.”

    WESH 2 has followed up with OPD to ask about any arrests made, whether Williams was the subject of the search warrant, and whether police were still working to identify other suspects.

    But the department said Friday that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement would be handling the investigation of the events.

    “You’re fighting to protect people, not kill them!” said Williams’ best friend, Blair Gusmas. “I don’t say long live Kaleb, because he’s still standing with us. He’s still here. But I promise you, for his son, for his mother, we are going to speak.”

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  • Person shot in Oakland, now in critical condition

    Person shot in Oakland, now in critical condition

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    An individual was shot in Oakland on Saturday afternoon in the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

    The Oakland Police Department is investigating the shooting, which took place just after 2 p.m. on Sept. 28. The victim was transported to a local hospital where they are now in critical condition, according to the police department.

    Oakland police are asking members of the public with information about the incident to contact the department’s felony assault unit at 510-238-3426, or the department’s tip line at 510-238-7950.

    This is a developing story, check back for updates.

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    Isha Trivedi

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  • Use-of-force investigation underway after Orlando cops, pro-Palestine protesters clash downtown

    Use-of-force investigation underway after Orlando cops, pro-Palestine protesters clash downtown

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    click to enlarge

    Image via Orlando Police Department

    A use-of-force investigation has been launched and eight people arrested following a clash between officers and pro-Palestine protesters, Orlando Police Department says.

    According to OPD, 20 individuals peacefully demonstrated near Lake Eola around 4 p.m. Saturday. The demonstration was monitored by officers from downtown and Parramore bike units before concluding at 5:15 p.m.

    At around 5:30 p.m., bike officers responded to a “disturbance” near the Publix on East Central Boulevard, where some protesters were arguing with a person of opposing views.

    A video released by OPD Sunday shows a series of clips of one officer’s body-camera footage, covering some of the incident, which appears to have quickly turned into a physical clash between some protesters and officers.

    One bodycam clip shows the arresting officer riding a bike alongside the person arguing with protesters. The officer and opponent are walking along the street, while protesters are walking on the parallel sidewalk.

    A protester is seen taking a phone out of their pocket and stepping toward the woman and the officer seconds, before someone is heard saying, “Back up.” That protester then sprawls on the ground.

    The group of protesters are then seen rushing toward the person on the ground and nearby officers, and an altercation quickly breaks out. The sequence spans about three seconds.

    Another piece of the video shows clips from what seem to be different bodycams, depicting verbal and physical altercations and showing officers handcuffing some protesters. OPD says this footage “shows the level of agitation of the demonstrators and their willingness to physically attack officers while in the process of making arrests and keeping the peace.”

    One protester is seen stepping toward an officer with phone in hand, presumably recording a video, before the officer quickly forces them to the ground.

    Another clips shows an officer attempting to restrain a protester while they’re lying on top of what appears to be another bike officer and his bike on the pavement. Someone is heard saying, “What are you doing?” repeatedly.

    In a release shared Sunday night, OPD stated, “When officers attempted to separate the two parties, a member of the Pro-Palestine demonstration group lunged toward an OPD officer and the opposing citizen in a physically threatening manner.”

    It is not clear which of the depicted altercations this sentence refers to.

    The video ends by saying a use-of-force investigation is underway.

    Eight people were ultimately arrested on various charges, including disorderly conduct, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence and resisting arrest without violence, OPD says.

    There has been no additional information provided as of early Monday afternoon, including what exactly prompted the investigation or the identities of those arrested.

    Earlier this summer, OPD released body-cam footage of a pro-Palestine rally at Lake Eola, in which officers are seen pepper-spraying, shoving and arresting demonstrators.

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    Chloe Greenberg

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  • Orlando Police Department Holds Inaugural 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony

    Orlando Police Department Holds Inaugural 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony

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    On the 23rd anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks, the Orlando Police Department held its inaugural 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony.

    OPD Chief Eric Smith and officers were joined by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, City Commissioners and Orlando Fire Department Chief Charlie Salazar to reflect on the 2,977 lives lost that day, including 72 members of law enforcement and hundreds of other first responders.

    The Orlando Police Department firmly believes the brave men and women who laid down their lives should never be forgotten.

    During the Central Florida ceremony, the names of fallen officers were read aloud by members of OPD’s Honor Guard to reflect on their ultimate sacrifice.

    “We hope today’s ceremony will serve as a reminder, to all, about the dangers law enforcement face,” said Chief Eric Smith. “Thank you for your continued support of OPD and, rest assured, our officers remain ready to respond to all threats, to protect this community.”

    Orlando Police 9/11 Remembrance Orlando Police 9/11 Remembrance
    OPD thanked all who attended the inaugural Orlando Police 9/11 Remembrance event.

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  • 15-Year-Old Jones High Student Charged for Bringing Gun to Orlando School

    15-Year-Old Jones High Student Charged for Bringing Gun to Orlando School

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    A 15-year-old Jones High student was charged for bringing a gun to an Orlando school.

    The Orlando Police Department said it will not hesitate to protect the students and teachers they serve and take all threats seriously.

    After a social media post was shared about a student with a gun at Jones High School, a 15-year-old was swiftly located by the School Resource Officers on campus.

    The student was found with an unloaded BB gun. However, it did not have any markings to distinguish it from a real firearm, according to local law enforcement.

    While there was no threat associated with his social media post, the actions of this student caused unnecessary fear among his peers, their parents and teachers.

    The student was charged with a city ordinance violation: Carrying a Simulated Firearm.

    In light of the recent school shooting in Georgia, the Orlando Police Department expressed its unwavering commitment to vigilance in local schools and to stop any individuals who could be considered a danger to public safety.

    Recently, a 16-year-old Central Florida student was also arrested for threatening a mass shooting at another local school; a 15-year-old Central Florida student was also arrested for making an online school shooting threat at another school; and a 13-year-old student was also arrested for threatening a school shooting in Central Florida.

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  • Man Exposed Himself to Minor in Orlando, Police Seek Community Help

    Man Exposed Himself to Minor in Orlando, Police Seek Community Help

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    The Orlando Police Department Special Victims Unit is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect that is reported to have exposed himself to a minor.

    On May 3rd, between 8:40am and 9:00am, the victim was walking to school in the area of Summerlin Avenue and Washington Street when an unknown white male with brown hair, approximately 6 feet tall, in a blue sedan approached the victim. He was unclothed and exposing himself while in the vehicle.

    The victim walked away, and the vehicle attempted to follow her until she ran away. The mother of the victim reported the incident to police.

    Patrol officers continue to canvass the area and detectives continue to investigate along with the help of the Crime Center in reviewing surveillance cameras from businesses and residents in the area.

    It is believed the suspect may have been in the area of the 7-11 on Summerlin Ave. prior to encountering the female student.

    There are social media posts circulating of a blue vehicle. According to OPD, the vehicle in the photo has not been confirmed to be the suspect vehicle at this time. The Orlando Police Department did state that the suspect vehicle is possibly a blue sedan, specific model is unknown.

    If vehicle or suspect is located, do not approach. Immediately call police.

    If you or anyone you know may have information that can help police in locating this suspect, please call OPD at 9-1-1 or submit a tip anonymously to Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS(8477).

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  • Orlando Police Make Arrest in 2020 Homicide

    Orlando Police Make Arrest in 2020 Homicide

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    The Orlando Police Department recently announced an arrest in a 2020 homicide.

    On April 25, 2020, at 11:10pm, Orlando Police Department responded to a drive-by-shooting that occurred in the 5100 block of Else Street, Orlando, Florida. There were multiple victims injured from this shooting.

    Dexter Antonio Rentz Junior was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

    Recently, 24-year-old Christopher Burke was apprehended by the Orlando Police Department Fugitive Investigative Unit.

    According to OPD, Burke was charged with Second-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Second-Degree Murder.

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  • 2 East Bay Catholic schools closing; one closure due to ‘rising crime, human trafficking’

    2 East Bay Catholic schools closing; one closure due to ‘rising crime, human trafficking’

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    OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — Two East Bay private Catholic schools are closing at the end of the school year, the Oakland Diocese confirmed to the I-Team. One of the closures is due to a rise in crime, including human trafficking operations near the campus.

    Parents at “St. Anthony Catholic School” received notice two weeks ago, according to an email sent from the Oakland Diocese. Aside from crime, the notice says the closure is tied to homelessness, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, as well as human trafficking operations near the school.

    Enrollment at the K-8 grade school declined to 65 students.

    The I-Team first broke the story about human trafficking operations in this area one year ago – where video shows young girls and alleged pimps surrounding the campus. It prompted action from the FBI to put up cameras in the area and install traffic barricades near the school campus.

    RELATED: Video showing alleged sex workers soliciting outside East Oakland school sparks call for action

    Video showing alleged sex workers soliciting right outside St. Anthony’s in East Oakland is raising concerns about human trafficking in the area.

    The Oakland Diocese says the St. Anthony school community is facing “overwhelming financial challenges,” despite large investments.

    A former school parent, Rosa Vargas, says families are worried about finding a safe alternative for their kids.

    RELATED: Oakland police, FBI take action to assess trafficking concerns near school after I-Team report

    Oakland officials say city will enhance patrols and install new cameras after I-Team’s report revealed possible human trafficking outside a school.

    “It’s really hard to get into good schools, it’s really hard,” Vargas said. “And for us parents that are paying to get our kids in a safe school… it’s hard because if we take our children to another school…. we’re told they’re not at grade level.”

    The Oakland Diocese told ABC7 News “Our Lady of Guadalupe” in Fremont is also closing. It’s unclear what’s prompting that closure. The ABC7 News I-Team has reached out for more information, but we are still waiting to hear back.

    Take a look at more stories by the ABC7 News I-Team.

    If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live

    Copyright © 2024 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    Stephanie Sierra

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