Amidst the ongoing protests, stories of solidarity can come as a bit of comfort. One Florida mother sought to ease the nerves of her young daughter who was distraught over the uncertainty of recent events surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement by reaching out to a non-emergency line. Two officers from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) went to the family’s home to teach and comfort the girl about the recent protests and about Florida police.
Toni, the mother to 11-year-old Leilani, called the non-emergency Orange County line in the hopes that someone could provide some relief for her daughter.
Since the death of George Floyd, protests have cropped up across the nation. Seeing the news had struck Leilani with a deep sense of sadness and nervousness for the safety of her family.
On the recorded audio posted to OSCO’s Facebook this afternoon, Toni identified herself to Ariana Gallegos, an OCSO Emergency Communications Specialist, as being African-American and a single parent.
Throughout the call, Toni choked back tears as she explained the situation, expressing hope that officers could come to her home to give her daughter some reassurance.
“I’m trying to raise her up with a respect for authority,” Toni explained to Gallegos. “I told her we’re going to have them come out here and just talk to you [...] They’re not all bad.”
Deputies Adam Sanchez and Diego Serrano were dispatched to the home located in Orange County to meet with Toni and Leilani.
The deputies spoke to Leilani about what it was like to work in law enforcement and about the protests going on around the country.
According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, Toni and Leilani were grateful for the meeting and thanked OCSO for the experience.
Other stories of solidarity between law enforcement and civilians were also reported in the Orlando area.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina and Chief Orlando Rolon both knelt and held the hands of protestors during a demonstration, sharing in the grief surrounding the death of George Floyd.