By Kyle Coppola
Leesburg Police Officers Disarm Armed Felon at Ski Beach
Two Leesburg police officers are being praised for their swift response and calm under pressure after disarming a convicted felon at Ski Beach last weekend.
Officers Tim Lynch and Kassy Grimmett responded to reports of a suspicious man driving on the sidewalk near the volleyball courts at Ski Beach. When Officer Lynch arrived, he saw the suspect exit his vehicle, take a shooting stance, and point a revolver at a bystander, police said.
Officer Lynch immediately exited his patrol vehicle, drew his firearm and issued clear commands. The suspect dropped the weapon and raised his hands, complying with the officer’s orders.
(These are the items recovered by the Leesburg Police Department.)
Officer Grimmett arrived shortly after, and the two officers successfully took the suspect into custody without further incident.
A subsequent search revealed the man, who is a convicted felon, was carrying a Glock 27 pistol with a round chambered and two loaded magazines. Inside his vehicle, officers also discovered another revolver, two shotguns, a rifle and additional ammunition.
“Officer Lynch displayed exceptional composure, courage, and sound judgment under extreme pressure,” Sgt. D’Agostino said in a statement. “His quick actions potentially prevented a deadly situation and protected the lives of innocent bystanders at the park. His quick decision-making and professionalism are a direct reflection of the quality training and high standards we hold our officers to.”
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
