TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — A neglected senior dog is now on the mend after it was abandoned at Tampa International Airport when the owner didn’t have the right paperwork to bring it on a flight.

Tampa International Airport police chief Charlie Vazquez says he’s never seen anything like it.

"The ticket agent required her to have vaccination papers for the dog as well as the travel fee and when she didn’t have either she told the gate agent she’d make other arrangements," said Vazquez.

But that’s not what happened. Vazquez says she then left the American Airlines ticketing counter, let go of the dog’s leash and just kept on walking.

The chief says surveillance video, that they cannot release due to security reasons, shows the woman discarding the dog and boarding a flight Alabama without him.

"We love animals and to treat an animal like that is really shocking," said Vazquez.

Corinn Smith with VIP Rescue was called and says the elderly dog’s neglect began long before being abandoned.

"He has several sores, he has an ear infection, he was severely matted," said Smith.

Now the dog, whose microchip says he is 14 and named Bama, is on the mend.

Smith says she is adopting Bama to give him the loving life he deserves but she believes the little guy also deserves justice.

"The woman needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, there’s no excuse for this," said Smith.

Chief Vazquez says the state attorney’s office does plan to press charges. He says they have not been able to reach the woman who abandoned the dog but he wants this to be a lesson to people to traveling with pets.

"We recommend before you get to the airport contact the airline and find out what the requirements are whether there are fees, and what kind of paperwork you need for the animal. If you get here and you don’t(have those things), please don’t abandon the animal. Contact somebody and we’ll make arrangements," said Vazquez.

This story was originally reported by Wendi Lane on abcactionnews.com.

TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa boy received a big surprise from his hero for his third birthday.

City of Tampa worker Leroy Lentz says each morning he goes out to collect waste, Marlon waits for him to greet him with excitement.

The two have become good friends and for Leroy, their chats and waves never fail to brighten his day.

To show appreciation for Marlon, Leroy and Tampa’s Management Department teamed up to bring a socially-distant party over to the little boy’s neighborhood.

On Tuesday, the community held a birthday parade to celebrate Marlon, and Leroy was able to surprise the little boy with cake and a toy garbage truck.

“The Department really appreciates those customers who take time to say hello and thank you. Recognizing the impact these essential workers have in our community is so appreciated,” Mayor Jane Castor’s office said in a statement. “We are thrilled to give Marlon a birthday to remember.”

Below is the video of the festivities:

This story originally reported by KJ Hiramoto on abcactionnews.com.

BRANDON, Fla. — A Florida sheriff's deputy who was just days away from retirement died in the line of duty Monday evening.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said deputies were responding to a call for service from management at the Paddock Club Apartments around 3:42 p.m. Monday.

The caller said the man had been throwing furniture and clothes out of his apartment window and front door. The caller also said this individual has threatened to harm staff in the past. Deputies were not able to make contact with the man and left the area.

About an hour later, deputies were called back to the apartment complex.

"The resident is now naked and throwing cookies at neighbors outside his apartment. Deputies arrived on scene and make contact," said Chronister.

The suspect, 28-year-old Travis Garrett, struck a deputy in the head with his fist, according to Chronister.

Chronister said deputies deployed a taser, but it was not effective.

Garrett left the area in his car and led deputies on a chase.

Chronister said Garrett was driving at a high rate of speed when he intentionally rammed into the driver's side of Corporal Brian LaVigne's car. There were no skid marks on the scene indicating trying to stop, the sheriff said.

"Mr. Garrett intentionally switches two lanes and goes into the turn lane to strike LaVigne's vehicle," said Chronister.

LaVigne, 54, was responding to the call for service.

Chronister said LaVigne was trapped inside his car and unresponsive. Deputies tried to get to him.

"The deputies can't get to him to perform life-saving measures. He's unconscious. They're doing everything they can from breaking windows and trying to crawl in through the back window, but the corporal was trapped," said Chronister.

Fire rescue used the Jaws of Life to free LaVigne out of the car. He was later taken to Tampa General Hospital where he died from his injuries.

"This Corporal was murdered, intentionally killed by Travis Garrett," Chronister said.

Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted his condolences about the incident:

WATCH SHERIFF CHAD CHRONISTER'S FULL PRESS CONFERENCE BELOW:

Hillsborough County deputy killed in the line of duty (ENTIRE PRESS CONFERENCE)

LaVigne was a 30-year veteran with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and was days away from retirement. Chronister said LaVigne had one more shift left.

"Cpl. LaVigne was a great family man, someone who served this community... mentoring the young troops. He had a passion for service," Chronister said.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters, one of who is also a Hillsborough County deputy, the sheriff said.

"Master Corporal Brian LaVigne has been a part of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office family since 1990, and he was just days away from retirement," said Chronister. "We will never forget Master Corporal LaVigne for laying down his life in the line of duty or the response of his squad members who did everything they could to ensure that the individual responsible for his death was apprehended."

The suspect Travis Garrett was charged with First Degree Felony Murder, DUI Manslaughter, Vehicular Homicide, Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer (2 counts), Resisting Arrest with Violence (2 counts), Felony Criminal Mischief, and Aggravated Fleeing to Elude.

This story was originally published by Lisette Lopez at WFTS.

TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa school resource officer was fired for using racial slurs on two separate occasions, the department said.

Tampa police said Delvin White was an 8-year veteran of the department and was most recently assigned as a school resource officer at Middleton High School.

On Nov. 13, 2020, White was on a phone call when his body-worn camera captured him using a racial slur.

While under investigation, White told his supervisor there was another incident on Nov. 30, 2020, where he used the same racial slur while making an arrest.

The body-worn camera caught White using discriminatory language twice while making an arrest.

"Derogatory statements made by police officers jeopardize the trust that our department works to establish with our community," said Chief Brian Dugan. "Tampa Police officers are held to a higher standard and incidents like this negatively impact the entire law enforcement profession."

This article was written by Lisette Lopez for WFTS.

Video from Florida shows that the quick thinking of a crossing guard supervisor saved a young girl from getting hit by a car.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) shared the video of Kathleen Quinn from Jan. 27 in honor of Crossing Guard Appreciation Day.

A seven-year-old was crossing the intersection in Valrico, Florida, when a car swept through.

Even though Quinn was in the middle of the road, with her stop sign raised above her head, the driver did not slow down.

She reached for the young girl, who was walking her bike across the street, and prevented what could have been a tragic accident, HCSO said.

Heroic crossing guard supervisor saves girl from being hit by car

Mia Carlson witnessed the incident as she waited for her daughter on the other side of the road. Overcome with gratitude, Carlson contacted the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office to report Quinn's heroic actions.

"Ms. Kathleen Quinn is nothing less than a hero," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "Though she has only served two years as a crossing guard, she undoubtedly possesses the skills and, above all, the intuition needed to perform this critical duty. Without hesitation, she stepped into harm's way to protect a child from a reckless driver. I am overwhelmed with pride to say she is part of our team of dedicated crossing guards who treat every child on their route as their own and ensure they get to and from school safely."

According to HCSO, 295 crossing guards help the county's children get to and from school safely.

This story was originally published by Dan Trujillo on WFTS in Tampa, Florida.