Police Officer Robert Gordon German, a 31-year-old male, was tragically killed on March 22, 2014, in Windermere, Florida. Officer German was investigating two suspicious individuals near Conroy-Windermere Road and Horizon Circle at approximately 4:00 a.m. when he was shot. Upon arrival, an Orange County sheriff's deputy and an Orlando police officer found Officer German wounded.
Despite efforts to shield and transport him to Orlando Regional Medical Center, he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation revealed that the two suspects, Brandon Goode, 18, and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Alexandria Hollinghurst, were responsible for the shooting. Both suspects were found dead across the street from the scene, having died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. The final investigative report by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office indicated that Officer German was shot in the head with a .357 Magnum by one of the teens. Due to the distance and lighting conditions captured by a nearby Walgreens’ surveillance camera, it was difficult to determine which of the two fired the fatal shot.
Prior to the incident, Goode and Hollinghurst had written suicide letters to their families. On March 21, 2014, Kissimmee Police Department officers had encountered the teens in Goode’s vehicle but were unable to detain them as they fled the scene. The teens' vehicle was later found parked outside a Kissimmee bank. The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Orlando Police Department, Ocoee Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Windermere Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Officer German had served with the Windermere Police Department for five years. In recognition of his service and sacrifice, the Conroy-Windermere Road post office was renamed the Officer Robert German Post Office Building in September 2020. The community and his fellow officers continue to honor his memory and the ultimate sacrifice he made in the line of duty.
