Sergeant Richard Samuel Howard, III

Richard Samuel Howard, III

Sergeant Sam Howard and Police Officer Matthew Baxter were shot and killed while responding to reports of three suspicious people in the area of Palmway Street and Cypress Street at approximately 9:30 pm.

They were speaking to the men when a scuffle ensued, and both officers were shot. Both were transported to Osceola Regional Medical Center, where Officer Baxter was pronounced dead. Sergeant Howard passed away the following afternoon.

The subject who shot him was arrested approximately two hours after the shooting by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office members. Two handguns were found in his possession when he was arrested. In September 2019, the man was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, and in November 2019, the jury recommended he receive the death penalty. In 2022, a judge sentenced the subject to the death penalty.

Sergeant Howard was a U.S Army veteran and had served with the Kissimmee Police Department for 10 years. He is survived by his wife and one child.