Jeffery London, 58, is jailed without bond in the Jan. 1 killing of Dennis Turner outside a Kozart Street home.
ORLANDO, FL — A retired Orlando police officer was shot multiple times by his father-in-law during a New Year’s Day family gathering on Kozart Street, according to an arrest affidavit. Dennis Turner, 64, died at a hospital after the 7 p.m. shooting; suspect Jeffery London, 58, was later arrested.
Police say Turner, a 23-year veteran who retired in 2018, was struck first in the back as he walked away from a conversation with London outside the home. Witness statements and court records say London then stood over Turner and fired several more rounds before fleeing in a white Mercedes-Benz. Investigators tracked the vehicle and detained London during a traffic stop in Highlands County. He is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and is being held without bond. Authorities describe the incident as a family dispute; a precise motive remains unknown.
According to the affidavit, relatives and friends were gathered at the Kozart Street property for a cookout and were socializing in the carport shortly before 7 p.m. on Jan. 1 when London arrived. A witness told detectives Turner started to walk away from London when London pulled a handgun and shot him in the back. Turner collapsed in the front yard and tried to crawl away before London fired again at close range, the affidavit states. Officers and paramedics found Turner with multiple wounds to his upper torso and neck area; he was taken to a hospital where he died. “Unfortunately, sometimes when people have exercised poor judgment, there’s so much great that may be tarnished by those ill decisions,” former Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said while reflecting on Turner’s career.
Investigators said London left the neighborhood immediately after the shooting. Using vehicle information provided by witnesses and traffic cameras, detectives issued a regional alert. Troopers and deputies stopped a white Mercedes-Benz near U.S. Highway 27 and Grand Prix Drive in Highlands County later that night, and London was taken into custody without incident. Property and court records reviewed by police list London as connected to the Kozart Street address, and relatives told detectives London had not been invited to the gathering. Turner’s wife, who is London’s daughter, told investigators she had not spoken to her father for months following a July 2025 argument between the two men. Police have not released any information indicating that alcohol, self-defense, or a struggle preceded the gunfire, and no other injuries were reported.
Records show London has prior felony convictions, including a 1985 homicide and an aggravated battery case from the same year, which bar him from possessing a firearm. Turner served 23 years with the Orlando Police Department before retiring in 2018, then briefly returned as a reserve officer. In 2019, he was removed from that post following the widely scrutinized arrests of two elementary school children after department leaders said policy on juvenile arrests was not followed. Former colleagues described Turner’s earlier work on technology and paperwork systems that improved day-to-day operations. The affidavit in the current case states detectives also confirmed London’s vehicle was traveling toward the Kozart Street home just before the shooting.
London made an initial appearance following his transfer to Orange County and is currently held without bond. A judge ordered him to remain in custody while prosecutors review the case file and witness statements. Court schedules indicate another appearance is expected later in January. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek an indictment or file an information on a first-degree murder charge; those decisions typically follow additional interviews, ballistics testing, and a review of medical examiner findings. Police said the investigation remains active, with detectives still collecting video and canvassing for additional witnesses from the neighborhood.
Neighbors on Kozart Street told officers the holiday gathering appeared calm earlier in the evening, with people grilling in the carport and children moving between the yard and the house, according to the affidavit. Crime scene tape later enclosed the front lawn and driveway as detectives marked shell casings and photographed the area under exterior lights. Family members declined to discuss a possible motive with investigators the night of the shooting. Turner’s adult daughter said the family is focused on the case and her father’s funeral arrangements. Friends who worked with Turner at various points in his career said he was a demanding colleague who cared deeply about patrol work; some also acknowledged that decisions late in his career overshadowed earlier contributions.
As of Friday, London remained in the Orange County jail without bond on counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Police said additional tests, including ballistics and autopsy reports, will be added to the case file ahead of London’s next court date expected later in January.
Author note: Last updated January 9, 2026.