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Records: FDLE investigations of officer-involved shootings more than doubled in 2 years

In the past two years the number of officer-involved shootings and use of force investigations by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has skyrocketed.

FDLE said it’s seeing a steady climb in numbers as more police agencies try to regain public trust.

Officer-involved shooting and use of deadly force investigations by FDLE have more than doubled.

Records show these types of investigations of law enforcement officers jumped from 50 in 2013 to 103 last year.

“It’s crazy. It’s a sign of the times,” said Orlando resident Stephen Belgrave.

Experts said it could be because more chiefs and sheriffs are seeking to avoid the appearance of a whitewash.

“It promotes belief in the investigation and public confidence,” said WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer.

Early Wednesday, unarmed suspect Derek Cruice was shot to death by a Volusia County deputy in what marks the sixth officer-involved shooting in central Florida since January.

FDLE is investigating the case.

“Well I think you have to have somebody police the police,” said Belgrave said.

Police behavior has been especially scrutinized in light of the police killings of Mike Brown and Eric Garner, both of whom were unarmed.

“We now have learned that you don’t let the fox guard the hen house,” Sheaffer said.

FDLE said it expects the number of officer-involved shooting cases it handles to get larger and they recently requested more money from state lawmakers to keep up.

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