Andrew Widman, Fort Myers Fla

**pgg** · 07-19-08, 03:21 AM

FORT MYERS, Fla. --

A former missionary turned police officer was shot and killed along with a suspect after police were called to a disturbance outside a downtown nightclub early Friday.

Rookie officer Andrew Widman, 30, was shot in the face at close range after he stepped in to break up a dispute between a man and a woman at about 2 a.m., police Maj. Doug Baker said.

The suspect, who has not yet been named, ran from the scene while firing at other officers, Baker said. Four officers returned fire, killing the suspect.

Witnesses told police that before Widman arrived at the scene, the suspect said "he was going to go out Miami-style, and he was going to take one of our officers with him," Baker said at a news conference.

Baker said the suspect had addresses in the Fort Myers area and in Naples to the south, but he didn't know where the man had been living.

Widman, who had previously done missionary work, had been with the police department since April 2007, Baker said. He was married, with three children between the ages of 2 and 5. Details of his missionary work weren't immediately available.

"He was a good guy," Baker said. "He'll be missed by his peers."

Mayor Jim Humphrey said it was "one of the saddest days in the life of this city."

Several downtown streets were blocked off as detectives investigated throughout the morning.

"A piece of America died today," said Fort Myers city councilman Johnny Streets, a former police officer. "A piece was plucked out of the flag."

Streets told The (Fort Myers) News-Press that the last time the department lost an officer to a shooting was in 1924.

**Willowdared** · 07-19-08, 03:24 AM

My thoughts and prayers for his family and department.

**mack** · 07-19-08, 05:51 AM

Rest in Peace, Officer Widman. Thoughts and prayers to his family

**armsmaster270** · 07-19-08, 09:07 AM

Rest in Peace.

**narcodog** · 07-19-08, 09:16 AM

Aww crap. R.I.P.

**Jenna** · 07-19-08, 09:35 AM

Rest in peace.

**Wolven** · 07-19-08, 11:06 AM

RIP Peace Brother.

This is in my back yard...and I will be going as part of an Honor Guard contingency to the funeral. So damn sad, so damn young.

**ex401mp** · 07-19-08, 11:54 AM

What the fuck, it seems that most of the officers getting killed at work have about three kids. What a sad thing to have happened, barely a year on the job. This sucks. At least his co-workers killed the son of a bitch so the family does not have to go through the media circus called a trial now.

RIP, I hope his family finds some peace in this sad time.

**iso607** · 07-19-08, 04:33 PM

Rest in peace.
Thoughts and prayers to the family.

**CTR man** · 07-19-08, 10:00 PM

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h...8QUOwD920GBC8H

The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Abel Arango of Naples, ran from the scene while firing at other officers, Baker said. Four officers returned fire, killing Arango.

http://www.fox4now.com/Global/story.asp?S=8702904

Fort Myers
System Fails Murdered Fort Myers Police Officer
Posted: July 19, 2008 03:49 PM

An arrest history released today by the Fort Myers Police Department shows that the suspect in the shooting death of Fort Myers Police Officer Andrew Widman should have been deported. A criminal records list compiled by Fort Myers Police detectives says Abel Arango is a Cuban native and was convicted of an aggravated felony in September of 2000. The next month, the court ordered that he be deported. Arango appealed, but the appeal was denied. Then when he was released from Krom Detention Center in Miami in July of 2004, he was placed on supervised release. Today's arrest history from the Fort Myers Police says Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, the agency responsible for Arango's release, doesn't have probation officers or supervisory employees. According to the Fort Myers police, this means Arango was set free.

Originally Posted by ex401mp

What the fuck, it seems that most of the officers getting killed at work have about three kids. What a sad thing to have happened, barely a year on the job. This sucks. At least his co-workers killed the son of a bitch so the family does not have to go through the media circus called a trial now.

RIP, I hope his family finds some peace in this sad time.

Amen my friend.

It does seem that way. I can think of two LODD's, local to me and both were caused by gunfire and the officer left 3 children behind.

My condolences to the officers family, friends and colleagues.

**dogbite1** · 07-20-08, 01:10 AM

RIP. What makes it more shocking is that it was way too close to home as that City is right next to our (Wolven, Ex401mp, and mine) county.

**2 Blue 4 U** · 07-20-08, 04:22 PM

My condolences to his family and friends, May he Rest in Peace

**depusm12** · 07-20-08, 05:12 PM

R.I.P. brother. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. Smoke and prayers from Kansas.

**Wolven** · 07-21-08, 03:48 PM

If anyone would like to post a message to his family...here is the link. Might be nice to show his family a little support from us all even from those far away. Thanks!

http://http://www.nbc-2.com/Blogs/widman.shtml