OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — There’s a new sheriff in Osceola County after Thursday’s arrest of now-suspended Marcos Lopez.
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Chris Blackmon as the interim sheriff after the arrest, which rocked the agency.
“It is a shock to the agency, a shock to the system if you want to call it that. We tried to give them the best information we could and where we’re at what’s going forward,” said Blackmon.
Blackmon said he plans to bring stability, leadership and humility to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
“We’ll investigate any crimes in Osceola County, and we’ll take it to the 19th degree to see where it goes,” he said.
His message to the community is that there are dedicated deputies and investigators with the same mission: to protect and serve.
“We have a lot of great people here to do the job. And it’s my job to put them in a position to succeed. We’re going to protect to the community and protect the children because I think protecting the children is paramount to me, in all the communities,” said Blackmon.
Blackmon says the main concern is crime in Osceola County.
When asked if there are other people within the department involved in the alleged illegal activities involving Lopez, Blackmon said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating, and he could not comment.
Blackmon has been the central region chief for the Florida Highway Patrol. His career as a Florida highway patrol trooper started in 1990. Many of those years were in central Florida and Osceola County.
A majority of his career was in central Florida at Troop D. He worked as a DUI trooper. He then worked his way up the ranks to sergeant, lieutenant and captain, all within Troop D.
He was promoted to major and moved to Tallahassee. He came back as a troop commander a few years ago.
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