Winter Garden Police Department, Florida
End of Watch: Tuesday, December 1, 1959
Age: 50
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 6 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: December 1, 1959
Weapon Used: Handgun; .25 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Patrolman Dalton Fleming was shot and killed while chasing a suspect who had just murdered his landlord and stole her money shortly after 11:00 pm.
After the murder, the subject ran to downtown Winter Garden where Patrolman Dalton observed him acting suspiciously. Unaware of the murder that had just been committed, Patrolman Fleming attempted to stop the man on South Main Street as a suspicious person. The man fled and Patrolman Fleming pursued him on foot.
During the foot pursuit, the suspect ran up an open staircase attached to a liquor store. As Patrolman Fleming followed him up the stairs the man turned and shot him in the chest with a .25 caliber handgun. Despite his wounds, Patrolman Fleming was able to continue the pursuit on South Main Street, and, with the help of a citizen, place the suspect in custody in front of the train station. Patrolman Fleming then collapsed and died at the scene.
The subject had just been released after serving one year of a fifteen-year sentence for a previous strong-arm robbery in Michigan.
The 22-year-old suspect was convicted of Patrolman Fleming's murder and his 38-year-old landlord's murder and sentenced to two life terms.
Patrolman Fleming had served with the Winter Garden Police Department for 18 months. He was survived by his wife and two children.