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Former law enforcement officer suspect in fatal DUI crash involving 5 children

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A DUI suspect accused of hitting five children Thursday after they got off a school bus worked in law enforcement, the Polk County sheriff said.

Sheriff Grady Judd said John Camfield, 48, was a law enforcement officer at a number of agencies in Mississippi, including the Yolobusha County Sheriff's Office, the Tunica County Sheriff's Office, the Oxford Police Department and the Hernando Police Department.

Judd said Camfield had 18 years of experience in law enforcement, but records show he never worked as an officer in Florida.

READ: Impaired driver flees after hitting 5 children at bus stop in Poinciana, deputies say

Camfield also worked at Cypress Gardens as director of public safety, Judd said.

Judd said he’s embarrassed to call Camfield a former cop.

“I talked to one of the sheriffs that he worked for,” said Judd. “The sheriff said, ‘I’ve been in law enforcement for a long time. He was one of the best detectives I ever had.’”

Camfield’s last stop was at the Tunica County Sheriff’s Office where he served for less than a year before retiring in January 2012.

That unnamed sheriff also told Judd that Camfield was a known alcoholic.

“Rum was his drink of choice,” said Judd.

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Deputies said Camfield hit the Dundee Ridge Middle Academy students on Allegheny Road near Athabasca Drive.

Jahiem Robertson, 13, and Juan Mena, 13, were hospitalized with injuries that include spinal injuries, facial fractures and head trauma.

They were airlifted to Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando, where Robertson died.

Jonte Robinson, 15, Jasmine Robertson, 14, and Rylan Pryce, 12, were also injured.

LISTEN: Daughter screams for help following DUI crash

Witnesses told detectives that after hitting the victims, Camfield sped away from the scene.

One of the witnesses followed Camfield, who struck the back of another vehicle, deputies said.

“Seven hours after the crash, he still read a .146, almost double the limit,’ said Judd.

A deputy, whose daughter was on the bus and called to tell him what happened, responded to the crash scene and took Camfield into custody.
LISTEN: 911 call after 5 children struck by suspected drunk driver

Camfield was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with two counts of driving under the influence with serious bodily injury, two counts of leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury, two counts of leaving the scene of a crash with bodily injury, three counts of driving under the influence with injury and property damage, and reckless driving.

He faced a judge Friday afternoon where his bail was set at $600,000.

Cox Media Group

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