Lee County Sheriff investigates crash injuring pedestrian at University VillageGunshots heard in a Cape Coral neighborhood
Lee County Sheriff investigates crash injuring pedestrian at University Village The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a crash that injured a pedestrian at the University Village Shops in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Gunshots heard in a Cape Coral neighborhood Neighbors have reported hearing multiple gunshots in the early hours of the morning in Cape Coral.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Tracking the Tropics: Patty forms in North Atlantic, tracking Caribbean development An area in the Southwestern Caribbean has a high, 80% chance of developing over the upcoming week.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Warm weekend with spotty showers, daylight saving time ends tonight The Weather Authority says Saturday is starting nice and dry with some passing clouds and pleasant conditions.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 11 The Lehigh Lightning beat the Sarasota Sailors in a Monday night matchup to earn their first win of the season in week 11.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man files injunction against city over Jaycee Park A Cape Coral man has filed an injunction against the City of Cape Coral over the renovation of Jaycee Park.
CAPE CORAL Brothers gain highest Boy Scout award for repairing food pantry General Manager of the Adventist Community Services Alexandra Berru said she couldn’t be more grateful for the twin brothers.
2 Vietnam veterans raise $20,000 for monument in Naples Two Vietnam veterans raised over $20,000 to create a Vietnam monument at Cambier Park in Naples.
BONITA SPRINGS Lee County to pick up debris on Estero and Hickory boulevards After three weeks of hard work clearing mountains of sand from Estero and Hickory boulevards, Lee County crews are ready to switch gears to storm debris collection along these main county roads.
SANIBEL Are our habitats on the brink of a slow collapse? For two years, Sanibel Island’s delicate ecosystems have been battered by unrelenting storm surges, leaving behind dead trees and tainted freshwater pools.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres driver wants more safety measures for State Road 82 A Lehigh Acres man wants other drivers to know to pay attention. He also wants the county, city or state to put some more patrols out here.
SANIBEL What beaches are experiencing red tide issues now? Parts of Southewst Florida are dealing with red tide. But it’s not impacting Sanibel or beachgoers there.
NAPLES Naples Police Department begins celebrations of 100 years of service The City of Naples Police Department will hit 100 years of service in November of 2025, and they are now beginning their year of celebrations.
ESTERO FGCU students and professor weigh in on upcoming election As the nation gears up for a pivotal election, a question lingers among young voters. Will students turn out to vote?
New procedure helping disc pain Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and arm pain can all be caused by a herniated disc. If left untreated, this can become debilitating and lead to nerve damage.
Lee County Sheriff investigates crash injuring pedestrian at University Village The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a crash that injured a pedestrian at the University Village Shops in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Gunshots heard in a Cape Coral neighborhood Neighbors have reported hearing multiple gunshots in the early hours of the morning in Cape Coral.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Tracking the Tropics: Patty forms in North Atlantic, tracking Caribbean development An area in the Southwestern Caribbean has a high, 80% chance of developing over the upcoming week.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Warm weekend with spotty showers, daylight saving time ends tonight The Weather Authority says Saturday is starting nice and dry with some passing clouds and pleasant conditions.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 11 The Lehigh Lightning beat the Sarasota Sailors in a Monday night matchup to earn their first win of the season in week 11.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man files injunction against city over Jaycee Park A Cape Coral man has filed an injunction against the City of Cape Coral over the renovation of Jaycee Park.
CAPE CORAL Brothers gain highest Boy Scout award for repairing food pantry General Manager of the Adventist Community Services Alexandra Berru said she couldn’t be more grateful for the twin brothers.
2 Vietnam veterans raise $20,000 for monument in Naples Two Vietnam veterans raised over $20,000 to create a Vietnam monument at Cambier Park in Naples.
BONITA SPRINGS Lee County to pick up debris on Estero and Hickory boulevards After three weeks of hard work clearing mountains of sand from Estero and Hickory boulevards, Lee County crews are ready to switch gears to storm debris collection along these main county roads.
SANIBEL Are our habitats on the brink of a slow collapse? For two years, Sanibel Island’s delicate ecosystems have been battered by unrelenting storm surges, leaving behind dead trees and tainted freshwater pools.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres driver wants more safety measures for State Road 82 A Lehigh Acres man wants other drivers to know to pay attention. He also wants the county, city or state to put some more patrols out here.
SANIBEL What beaches are experiencing red tide issues now? Parts of Southewst Florida are dealing with red tide. But it’s not impacting Sanibel or beachgoers there.
NAPLES Naples Police Department begins celebrations of 100 years of service The City of Naples Police Department will hit 100 years of service in November of 2025, and they are now beginning their year of celebrations.
ESTERO FGCU students and professor weigh in on upcoming election As the nation gears up for a pivotal election, a question lingers among young voters. Will students turn out to vote?
New procedure helping disc pain Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and arm pain can all be caused by a herniated disc. If left untreated, this can become debilitating and lead to nerve damage.
Ronnie Dean (CREDIT: Lee County Sheriff’s Office) Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate at the Lee County Jail. Ronnie Dean, 51, was booked into the jail 10 days ago on April 16 following an investigation by the Fort Myers Police Department. He was accused of sexually abusing a young child. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the Lee County Jail, said on Sunday deputies conducting routine checks at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Core facility found Dean unresponsive in his cell. They began life-saving measures until medics arrived on scene. Medics continued efforts but ultimately pronounced him dead. Investigators with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Dean suffered from “long-term health issues and found no signs of trauma or foul play.” The Medical Examiner’s Office believes the cause of death to be natural, according to the sheriff’s office, but a final cause of death will be determined after toxicology and other tests are completed. Now, the Lee County NAACP and his family want answers. Dean’s family said he was schizophrenic and had been Baker Acted several times before. While the charges against him are horrible, his family doesn’t believe them. They want to know how he ended up dead while in custody and have filed a complaint demanding answers. “Ronnie meant everything to us and to our family. He was very precious to us,” said Sharon Pointer, Dean’s cousin. According to a Fort Myers police arrest report, Dean took his pants off and allowed a young child to touch him. His family admits they were not with Dean that day but they don’t believe he molested anyone. Instead, they believe he was having a mental breakdown. “Being around him all of these years, when he does have a mental break he will take all his clothes and go outside,” Pointer said. Police said Dean became combative and resisted arrest. His family claims police beat him and used a taser. They said his mugshot which shows bruises on his face is proof. “The family’s complaint is excessive force,” said Lee County NAACP President James Muwakkil. Muwakkil said ideally when dealing with someone who has mental health issues, “you want to bring in a mental health professional to deescalate a violent occurrence.” Dean’s family is not quite sure what happened next. Fort Myers police said he was taken to the hospital where he was then released by doctors. While LCSO said there was no foul play, Dean’s family wants an investigation to determine if excessive force led to his death. “We just want the truth,” Pointer said. A Fort Myers police spokesperson said they will open an internal affairs investigation into Dean’s death. WINK News has asked for an additional report that details what officers say happened during their altercation with Dean. However, the report has not been released. Below is the full statement from the Fort Myers Police Department. On 4/16/22, Fort Myers Police Officers responded to a call about a man by the name of Ronnie Dean exposing his genitals and molesting a 2-year-old child. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Dean in an agitated state standing with a young child suspected to be the victim. Dean became combative and punched an officer in the face causing a wound that required stitches. Dean then ran from officers on foot. Officers pursued and a struggle ensued. Officers were forced to utilize a taser several times to gain compliance and place Dean in handcuffs. Whenever officers deploy a taser more than three times, the Fort Myers Police Department policy requires the person to be medically evaluated. Dean was transported to the hospital and medically cleared and did not suffer from any obvious physical injury. FMPD has learned that Dean suffered from long-term health issues and the Medical Examiner’s Office preliminary investigation believes the cause of his death to be natural. With any use of force incident, the Fort Myers Police Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau conducts a thorough investigation to ensure it fell within the law and policy. That review has now been expanded to address the Dean’s family’s concerns.