HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Broward County commissioners gathered to remember fallen Hollywood Police Officer Yandy Chirino, as a heartbroken community continues to mourn the sudden loss.
Commissioners on Tuesday shared a few words and a moment of silence ahead of their scheduled meeting.
“This is a really sad day for Hollywood,” said Broward Commissioner Beam Furr, “someone who was brave, courageous, smart in all sense of the word.”
The grief is still heavy in the Hollywood neighborhood where Chirino died.
Cherie Joblove and Debbie Fishman were among the many who stopped by the memorial in his honor.
“My heart goes out to this young officer and the family, and even when a police officer stopped by to question me yesterday, you could see it. It’s so raw in his face,” said Joblove.
Tuesday afternoon, police officers returned to the scene to gather evidence. It appears they are looking for bullet casings just feet away from the makeshift memorial.
The quiet Emerald Park neighborhood was disrupted by the tragedy late Sunday night when the officer was killed.
“I think this community is heartbroken, it really is,” said Fishman. “We all feel such a sense of sadness for Officer Chirino and his family.”
Blue ribbons can now be spotted all around the neighborhood.
Those who knew him said they remember Chirino as an avid traveler who shot and edited videos of his adventures and, above all, loved his family. Video shared with 7News shows him using a selfie stick to record himself and loved ones during a Father’s Day fishing trip.
The 28-year-old’s family could be seen devastated, holding on to one another as they left the hospital where he passed away.
The suspect, Jason Banegas, was captured on Ring surveillance video riding a red bicycle and trying to break into cars in Emerald Park, Sunday night.
The 18-year-old has a lengthy criminal history. Police said he was on juvenile probation at the time of the shooting, just shy of 30 days out of jail, and he was carrying a gun when he was apprehended.
Banegas appeared in court on Tuesday, where a judge found probable cause for felony murder and denied him bond.
“It just shows that anyone can get their hands on something, but it obviously was in the hands of the wrong person,” said Hollywood resident Joshua Loberfeld.
“It’s so senseless. It didn’t have to happen. He was just doing his duty,” said Joblove.
Chirino joined the Hollywood Police Department in 2017.
He was recognized multiple times for his outstanding work ethic.
“Someone that was here to protect us, and it’s so sad that this is what happened to him,” said Loberfeld.
While the memorial grows in his honor, some residents said they would love to see a permanent one.
“I’m hoping that maybe they’ll erect a memorial, you know, something in his honor,” said Fishman. “That would be very nice, and I know other people have suggested it, and I hope it comes to fruition.”
According to the arrest affidavit, the bicycle Banegas was seen riding was stolen, and the Glock he was carrying was stolen out of a case in Miami back in September.
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