Staff Reports
Gov. Rick Scott has ordered flags at half-staff to honor Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Police Officer Lance C. Whitaker, a 17-year veteran.
Scott ordered the U.S. and state flags to be flown at half-staff at the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville, City Hall in Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in Jacksonville, and the Capitol in Tallahassee, from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday.
Whitaker, 48, “was killed in a single-vehicle crash on northbound I-295, near Alta Drive, at approximately 4:30 a.m.” last Tuesday, May 15, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. “He was responding to another accident scene on the interstate when his vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree.”
“My wife Ann and I are heartbroken by the loss of Officer Lance C. Whitaker,” Scott said in a statement. “I spoke with Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams to express our condolences to him and everyone at the Sheriff’s Office.
“Everyday our brave men and women in law enforcement risk their lives to keep our communities safe and we must demonstrate our gratitude for their sacrifices. I ask every Floridian to join us in praying for Officer Whitaker’s family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Whitaker’s funeral service is today (Wednesday) at 11 a.m., Evangel Temple, 5755 Ramona Blvd., Jacksonville. A graveside service will immediately follow at Oaklawn Cemetery, 4801 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville. A police vehicle procession will take place between the church service and graveside service.
