Cody Dennis
Cody Dennis, 27, was his father's caretaker, best friend and only son, and he was days away from formally enlisting in the army when he died. His father says he had anxiety. Dennis died on January 24, 2025, after a Florida Highway Patrol trooper shot him inside the emergency room of HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, where he had been taken after a traffic stop. According to an Ocala police report obtained by Channel 9, a struggle with an Ocala officer and the trooper ended with Dennis getting hold of a Taser before he was shot; his father disputes that account, citing a malfunctioning hospital surveillance camera and questioning whether the situation could have been de-escalated. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, and Dennis was laid to rest in Kentucky, his home state.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed). An Ocala police report says Cody Dennis was shot by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper during a struggle in the emergency room, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating; his father disputes the account, citing a malfunctioning hospital surveillance camera and questioning whether the situation could have been de-escalated.
Reported by: Ocala Police Department (the agency that held him); Florida Department of Law Enforcement (outside investigators); his father; Channel 9 (reporters).