‘One of the best we had.’ Medley officer dies in drowning over the weekend, cops say.
Dan Garcia, a Medley police officer many remember as diligent and thoughtful, drowned Sunday evening.
Garcia, 30, was at a family gathering in Southwest Ranches in Broward County, Davie police said. Sometime during the party he began to swim in a small pond behind the home.
During the swim, he went under and didn’t surface. A family member tried to save him, but ultimately Davie police were called and divers got him out. Garcia was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Medley Police Chief Jeanette Said-Jinete said Garcia was “a good officer” who worked afternoons as a routine patrolman.
“He was an amazing officer, all-around good person,“ she said. “He was always about helping out with everything we do.”
Medley Sgt. Elio Cardenas fought back tears as he described Garcia.
“As an officer, he was one of the best we had,” he said. “As a person, he was even better. That guy was like a brother.”
Cardenas said the afternoon squad, which included Garcia, was like a family.
“That guy was the best. He was always looking at the positive side of things,” Cardenas said. “You wanted him around. Everybody wanted to be around this guy.”
Garcia was the 2019 Medley Officer of the Year and was recognized for being the top performing officer in arrests and traffic citations, while maintaining a consistently high number of “directed activities,” like area checks and watch orders.
He also participated in many community events like Trunk or Treat, DEA Drug Take Back Program, Shop with a Cop, Toys for Tots and the Medley Police Explorer program.
“Dan’s high self-motivated performance, priority to the community, and overall positive attitude are attributes which are reflective of the Medley Police Department,” Garcia’s officer of the year award read.
He began working as a Medley officer in 2018. Before that he served as a Virginia Gardens police officer for two years.
“Danny had a subtle sense of humor that could get even some of the most serious people to laugh,” a spokesperson for the Village of Virginia Gardens said. “We are grateful for the privilege of getting to know him while he was here and he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”
The Davie Police Department also gave its condolences saying, “The Davie Police Department extends our deepest sympathy and prayers to the family of Officer Dan Garcia and the Town of Medley Police Department for their loss.”
The Miami Police Department tweeted Monday, “We are saddened by the loss of [Medley Police Department] Officer Dan Garcia. Our condolences and our prayers are with his family and friends.”
Garcia leaves behind his parents and a brother. A viewing and services are being planned for him on Sept. 3 and 4.
This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 6:14 PM.
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