Patrol Officer Johnnie Norris Patterson Jr., 25, was killed during a traffic stop in Winter Haven, Florida, on March 8, 1997. Around 4:30 AM he stopped a vehicle at 21st Street SW and Avenue D; the driver fled on foot and Officer Patterson pursued. He called for backup and was not heard from again. About an hour later a Polk County canine officer found his body in a wooded area; he had suffered a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Several days after the killing a suspect was arrested, later convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole. Patterson had been with the Winter Haven Police Department for seven months. His father, Johnnie Patterson Sr., had been on a ride-along that night and was deeply affected; he later joined the Winter Haven Police Department.

Does anyone have recollections of how the community responded in the days after this officer’s death or additional details about the scene?