Police association supports former FMPD officer in quest to get job back

An officer accused of neglecting a 3-year-old girl after pulling over her mother with drugs in the car is no longer employed by a Southwest Florida police department. The officer is now asking for his job back, and he is receiving support in his quest.

Gulf Coast Police Benevolent Association is supporting Tyler Williams, a former officer of Fort Myers Police Department, after he was fired recently over the of a death of a child in a 2020 crash.

Matt Sellers, the president of the police union, told us Wednesday he filed a grievance against FMPD, demanding Williams get his job back. Sellers said he will also pursue legal action.

“Officer Tyler Williams’ termination is not based or supported by a just cause,” Sellers said. “That’s a direct violation of his contract … This was an overzealous [internal affairs] investigator and prosecutor. These charges should have never happened.”

Toddler Serenity Rose Robinson died from injuries she suffered in a February 2020 crash when her mother, Leslie Zeagler, was in the driver’s seat.

Roughly a month prior in January 2020, Williams pulled over Serenity’s mom and found heroin and meth in the car with Serenity in the backseat. At that time Williams did not notify Florida Department of Children and Families.

Subsequently following an FMPD internal affairs investigation, Williams faced charges for failing to make a report to DCF about an endangered child after he pulled over Serenity’s mother the first time and after Serenity then died due to the serious crash she was involved in.

Williams’ trouble started with the traffic stop in January 2020. His body camera recorded it all.

“Beautiful little girl, and she does not deserve that,” Williams could be heard on his body cam during his traffic stop with Zeagler.

Serenity was the little girl sleeping in the back seat with her mother in the front seat. During his search, Williams found needles and drugs.

“That’s solid heroin in there,” Williams said during his search of the vehicle.

Police say Zeagler was behind the wheel under the influence of drugs. Instead of reporting Zeagler to DCF during the traffic stop in January 2020, Williams allowed her to leave.

Charges Williams faced were originally dismissed against him, but the police benevolent association president confirmed he still plans to pursue legal action against FMPD in support of Williams.

When a judge dismissed criminal charges against Williams, he did not go back to work. Instead, FMPD kept him off the streets, while internal affairs did its own investigation.

Tuesday, FMPD Chief Derrick Diggs fired Williams. In June, Diggs said, “Officer Tyler Williams failed in his duty to protect a young child.”

We requested the final internal affairs report from Fort Myers Police Department, but FMPD has not sent it to us yet.

Zeagler was also eventually arrested and remains in Lee County Jail on bond of more than $350,000. She faces charges for DUI manslaughter, aggravated manslaughter of a child and driving with a suspended license. She is scheduled to appear in court in late April.