Officer Roy Lundell Nelson Jr.

Officer Roy L. Nelson Jr., 36, and his police K9, Ceasar, were killed on 8/13/05 approximately 11:40 p.m. when responding to a scene of a reported burglary and swerved his vehicle to avoid another vehicle and crashed just east of the South Causeway on State Road A1A. Both Nelson and his K9 Ceasar were pronounced dead at the scene. A witness reported seeing a white pickup pull onto the road from Richmond Drive, on Bouchelle Island. The witness told Florida Highway Patrol that the truck pulled in front of Nelson and he swerved to avoid it, causing him to crash into a guardrail and overturn. The truck left the scene. At the time, Officer Nelson did not have his lights or siren on at the time of the crash and was traveling in excess of 70- mph in a 50-mph zone while not wearing his seat belt. Police are looking for a white, full size pickup, possibly a 1990’s Ford F-150. The driver of the truck came forward two weeks later and the State Attorney’s office declined to charge him. Nelson was nearly a seven year veteran of the New Smyrna Beach police. Officer Nelson’s K9 Ceasar was a 3 ½ year-old Belgian Malinois who had trained with Officer Nelson more than 400 hours in two years and was Officer Nelson’s first police dog which lived with his family. Nelson served as a patrol officer and was a certified bicycle officer as well as a member of the department’s special response team during his career. Nelson received numerous accolades and commendations from both citizens and supervisors during his 11 year career also. Officer Nelson was chosen as a member of the presidential detail when President George W. Bush visited the city in 2002 and also arrested Michael Thomas Seibart, one of “America’s Most Wanted”. Officer Nelson is the departments first death in the line of duty. Officer Nelson leaves behind his wife Angie and his two daughters, Samantha Steinmetz 13 and Sabrina Nelson 2. Donations can be made to Roy Nelson Canine Memorial Fund, c/o Friends Bank, 2222 State Road 44, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 or Friends Bank, 1504 S. Ridgewood Ave., Edgewater, FL 32132. The city of New Smyrna Beach has set up a memorial fund for Nelson’s family at Wachovia Bank. Donations can be made at any Wachovia branch under the name “Officer Roy Nelson Memorial Fund.”