HOLLYWOOD, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2025) — Four years later, October 18 still lands heavy inside the Hollywood Police Department.
Officer Yandy Chirino was 28 when he died in the line of duty after responding to a call for help the night before. He had been on the job since 2017. Not long, but long enough to matter. Long enough to leave a mark.
He was the kind of officer people noticed early. Reliable. Focused. The one who handled calls without cutting corners. In just a few years, Chirino picked up five commendations and was named Officer of the Month in June 2020. Supervisors talked about his work ethic. Fellow officers talked about trust. He showed up ready, even on the hard shifts.
Then came that night in October.
By early morning, the department confirmed what many already feared. One of their own was gone. The news moved fast through roll calls and phone calls, across agencies, through the community. The kind of morning that doesn’t really end.
In the days after, there were badges draped in black bands, patrol cars idling longer than usual, officers standing in small groups outside the station. Quiet conversations.
The department said then that Chirino gave his life without hesitation, protecting the community he served. Officers described him as selfless. Someone who didn’t hang back when help was needed.
That message hasn’t changed.
This month, Hollywood Police Chief Jeff Devlin issued a statement reflecting on Chirino’s death and the outcome of the criminal case, reiterating the department’s commitment to Chirino’s family and to honoring his legacy.
Devlin said that from the beginning, the department promised to stand by Chirino’s family and the community after what he called a tragic murder. That promise, he said, was kept and will always be upheld.
He also addressed the sentencing, saying that while he believed anyone who murders a police officer should face the maximum penalty allowed by law, including the death penalty, the verdict resulted in life in prison without the possibility of parole. Not the outcome he wanted, but one the department respects under the judicial process.
The statement acknowledged how difficult the case was for officers who testified and gave impact statements, forcing them to relive some of the worst moments of their careers. Devlin said he was proud of their professionalism and strength. High praise, but earned.
He also thanked prosecutors involved in the case, naming Homicide Trial Unit Division Chief Stephen Zaccor and Assistant State Attorney Kristine Bradley, and pointed to the ongoing relationship with the State Attorney’s Office.
Outside the courtroom, Devlin said the community support never faded. Cards, messages, people stopping officers at gas stations or in grocery store lines. It mattered. It still does.
The department, he said, will never forget Officer Chirino or the life of service he gave to Hollywood. And they will continue to support his family, now and in the future.
For officers still working nights and weekends, Chirino’s name isn’t just a memorial. It comes up in training rooms. In locker rooms. Sometimes quietly, sometimes not.
Four years on, the department keeps saying his name. Keeps the promise. Keeps going.
0 Comments