An Auburndale police sergeant will receive a demotion and 160 hours of unpaid suspension following an internal investigation of his role in the traffic crash that killed a 5-year-old girl in November.
Auburndale Police Chief Terry Storie submitted a notice of discipline Friday to Sgt. Danny Swan, the officer who crashed his patrol truck at high speed into a vehicle carrying Jalina Anglin on Nov. 24. The girl, whose mother was driving a Kia Rio sedan, was pronounced dead upon arrival at Winter Haven Hospital.
Storie wrote that Swan would be demoted to the rank of officer. He faces 160 hours of unpaid suspension, six months of probationary status, and a six-month suspension of the privilege of taking an agency vehicle home.
Storie also ordered Swan to attend and complete an emergency vehicle operations course as soon as practical.
Swan was responding to a call to assist a Polk County sheriff’s deputy engaged with a combative suspect just before 10 p.m. He turned on the lights and sirens in his marked Chevrolet Silverado patrol truck as he sped east on U.S. 92 and approached the intersection with Havendale Boulevard, according to an earlier PCSO report.
Swan drove through a red traffic light, braking as he neared the intersection. The Kia, driven by Jermanica Anglin of Auburndale, entered the intersection, and Swan’s vehicle struck it, smashing the front end of the car.
The Auburndale PD’s Traffic Crash Review Board convened on April 16 to review the crash, based on a general departmental order. The board concluded that the crash was preventable, Storie wrote.
The board assigned Swan 32 infraction points, based on details of the crash, Storie wrote. The notice listed guidelines for discipline corresponding to point totals.
The Auburndale board determined that the crash caused more than $75,000 in damage, in addition to Jalina’s death, Storie wrote.
Swan waived his right to appear at a pre-disciplinary hearing on May 17, Storie wrote.
“The crash was a tragedy which impacted not only the family of Jalina Anglin but you, your family, and the city of Auburndale and the members of APD,” Storie wrote.
Storie said that Swan has been kept off patrol duty pending the conclusion of the internal investigation.
“You are not just an ordinary law enforcement officer,” Storie wrote to Swan. “You are an exceptionally
“Despite this tragic accident, I believe you still have something to offer the city of Auburndale, its citizens and the APD,” Storie wrote. “It is incumbent on you to heed this discipline, learn from it and teach other law enforcement professionals the consequences of this incident and the negative impact it has on victims’ families, your family, your community, and your agency.”