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Nearly a dozen members of Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society gathered just off campus to protest a recent decision that came from the Florida Board of Governors.

This decision would ban undocumented students from enrolling into higher education at state universities.

This is the 287g agreement, and is a partnership between the University of South Florida and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Connor Jaap is a member of this organization, and a student at USF.

“We demand that USF ends their 287g agreement. We demand that they protect immigrant and undocumented students, and we also demand that they no longer allow Customs and Border Patrol to recruit on campus at career fairs.”

This agreement delegates federal immigration enforcement powers to campus police officers. These powers include questioning people about their immigration status, transferring them into ICE custody, and checking the Department of Homeland Security databases.

Jaap shares some of the success that has come from demonstrations and protests in the past. One included the cancellation of Customs and Border Protection being on campus.

“It takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of people too.”

According to the Higher ED Immigration portal, roughly 49,000 undocumented students are enrolled in higher education universities and institutions in Florida. Another 8,000 graduate from Florida high schools.

The post A student organization at USF protests to protect its undocumented students appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

Bodycam footage shows an unarmed man, who had already attacked police, appearing to comply with instructions when he was inadvertently killed by officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department.

At a press conference Monday (warning: graphic content), Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the incident was an “excusable homicide.”

On Aug. 22, 2026, Brian Pepal’s stepmother flagged down a passing police car and asked for a welfare check on Pepal, who she said was experiencing a mental health crisis.

Pepal was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, according to Gualtieri, and his family said his mental health began declining after he was hit by a vehicle in 2023.

Earlier that morning, a neighbor reported that Pepal had threatened to cut her head off, according to police.

Officers knocked on Pepal’s door, and he then began punching the officers. During the ensuing struggle, officers tased him repeatedly, even as he appeared to comply with instructions after falling to the ground. He died minutes later.

The Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner said that Pepal’s death was a homicide, caused by “traumatic asphyxiation with contributing conditions of restraint, coronary atherosclerosis, obesity, and schizophrenia,” according to Gualtieri. He also said marijuana was found in Pepal’s system.

Coronary atherosclerosis affects about half of people over the age of 45.

Officers Tammy Craig and Daniel Poveda knocked on Pepal’s door, identifying themselves as police. Body camera footage shows that Pepal left his house unarmed, asking, “What is the police department?” before punching Poveda.

Pepal continued attacking the officers for 15 seconds until Craig successfully hit him with her taser and he fell on his back with his arms paralyzed in front of him.

Tasers work by launching sharp electrodes into skin, then sending electricity to those electrodes through wires still attached to the taser gun. After being hit, a person can be shocked repeatedly by reactivating the taser until the electrodes are removed.

This incapacitates an individual’s muscles and can result in muscle weakness even once the taser is deactivated. Axon (stylized in all-caps), who manufactures the tasers used by SPPD, recommends monitoring a subject for 20 minutes following taser use to ensure they are feeling well.

Pepal appeared to attempt to stand up once he was no longer paralyzed, at which point the taser was activated again, shocking him.

He then followed shouted instructions to roll over onto his stomach, and Poveda yelled at him to put his hands behind his back.

Pepal rolled onto his side, freeing his arm from underneath him, and began to place his arm behind his back when Poveda yelled at Craig to “keep popping him.” Craig activated the taser again, and Poveda handcuffed Pepal’s left wrist.

Pepal then appeared to shout: “People, help me.”

“No, no, you just keep popping him,” Poveda told Craig. “Keep popping him.” She activated the taser again, shocking both Pepal and Poveda. 

“Bring the other one back,” Craig instructed. “No, I can’t do it,” Pepal appeared to respond. Labored breathing from Pepal can be heard in the video as he says, “Why? … Help, help.”

He said a few more indiscernible words before falling silent.

The officers successfully handcuffed Pepal, who began to move his legs, which they then crossed and folded up near his thighs. Poveda kneeled on Pepal’s shoulder.

“You shocked me like six times,” Poveda told Craig as they held Pepal down.

Other officers showed up and discovered that Pepal was unresponsive. They turned him on his back and saw that his face was turning purple. 

“Take off those handcuffs,” one of the other officers appeared to say.

“No no no no, this guy’s fighting,” Poveda appeared to respond as other officers began compressions on Pepal’s limp body.

The next several minutes of footage show family members and neighbors standing, embracing and watching as resuscitation efforts are taken over by fire rescue.

In 2020, Pinellas established a task force that investigates use of deadly force among the county’s police agencies. The task force is made up of homicide detectives from several different departments, and is led by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Announcing the results of the investigation, Gualtieri said at the press conference that the officers did everything correctly given the circumstances. A letter from State Attorney Bruce Bartlett said that the officers would have been justified in using deadly force.

There appear to be a few inconsistencies between a letter summarizing the sheriff’s findings and the body camera footage. 

For instance, Pepal appears incapacitated before Poveda fires his taser, but the report said that he was incapacitated after. The report states that Poveda kneeled on Pepal’s shoulder during the handcuffing process, but video shows he didn’t kneel on Pepal’s shoulder until after he was handcuffed.

The report also said that Pepal “failed to comply” with instructions to place hands behind his back and instead “placed both hands under his torso.” In the video, Pepal appears to be placing one hand behind his back, only dropping his arms when Craig activates her taser again. His left hand does not appear to be underneath his torso in the video.

Under Florida law, that might not matter. Florida statute broadly allows the use of lethal force to defend against imminent threats and prevent forcible felonies from occurring.

Bartlett’s investigation concluded that the officers didn’t intend to kill Pepal in the first place.

“There was no intent in the actions of Officer Poveda and Officer Craig to cause of the death of Brian Pepal and the force used by Officer Poveda and Officer Craig was a reasonable response to the circumstances present by Brian Pepal’s own actions,” the letter reads. “Therefore, it is the conclusion of the State Attorney’s Office that the death of Brian Pepal was an excusable homicide, pursuant to F.S.  §782.03 and F.S.  §776.05(1).”

The St. Petersburg Police Department still has to review Craig and Poveda’s actions to ensure they followed department policy.

The post ‘Keep popping him’: Before killing schizophrenic St. Pete man, officers repeatedly tased him as he appeared to comply appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

As part of a program to integrate art into these kids’ routine, NOMADstudio is partnering with Tombolo Books to get more books to incarcerated teens.

The program, Justice Studio, began eight years ago as a volunteer-based effort.

For Carrie Boucher, the founder and executive director of NOMADstudio, it was a labor of love.

“Human beings have been participating in creative expression long before we were participating in you know high school math classes and English classes,” Boucher said. “So creative expression helps us at an individual level process and think about our feelings. It also helps us on a on a society level to connect with each other.”

Every week they bring classes on printmaking, coloring, collaging or writing to the center.

According to Boucher, it is one of the oldest running programs within the Pinellas Juvenile Justice Center which can serve up to 95 teens. Now, they have their own room with a small library in the back.

She recalls the first time her team walked into the center.

“One of the first things one of the kids asked us was how long we were going to continue coming,” Boucher says. “Whether he knew it or not, he understood the impacts of how grant funding works. Sometimes programs come for a little while and the kids really like them and get to know the people running them, but then the grants run out and the people disappear. And we made a commitment that day that we would stay there.”

She says art is not something that should be earned for good behavior, but rather another essential part of development.

She was 16 when she walked into her first art class. Her full name and charges are not disclosed in this story.

“I didn’t think it would make as much of an impact as it did. Honestly, I could say that like they’re such important people in my life. They really are like family,” said Misha.

For her, Justice Studio was an opportunity to feel like she wasn’t “locked up.” The art classes were in stark contrast with her environment within the center.

“In the cells there’s just a metal bed and then there’s like a mat on top of it. And like a little window, but you can’t even really see anything out the window either,” Misha recalls. “And then the sink and the mirror, so it’s not like a whole lot, and then sometimes like the staff.”

Misha remembers staff members who were caring and helpful. But she also remembers others making her feel worse and tensioned.

“And then also just like, I feel like when you’re a kid and you’re going through that, like you’re already irritated. So you tend to take it out on your peers or cause problems. So, the art program gives you something to look forward to. I did.”
Misha is now a 21 year old poet in Saint Pete.

“I feel like I learned so much on writing just from reading,” Misha recalls. “Like I learned how to like form certain sentences or I would look at these like authors and I would want to be like them. I liked how they wrote so good, so I would use that as an example and like try to write really elaborate stuff.

As part of the program, kids can choose to keep the books they love to take with them once they are released.

Because of this, popular items like “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas and “Dear Justyce” by Nic Stone are always needed.

NOMAD Studio is partnering with Tombolo Books to showcase an online gift registry where people can purchase books for the Justice Studio program, you can find the link here.

The post Teens in the Pinellas Juvenile Justice Center could soon get more books appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis has scheduled two executions to take place on the same day, marking an unprecedented move in Florida. The decision has drawn national attention as the state prepares for the back-to-back executions.

Additionally, extreme summer heat is causing widespread coral bleaching in the Florida Keys. Scientists warn that rising ocean temperatures are placing more stress on fragile reef ecosystems.

Starting now, Florida fishermen must follow new regulations designed to better protect manta rays. Officials say the updated requirements aim to reduce accidental harm to the vulnerable species.

The Clearwater City Council will vote on whether to continue its partnership with Duke Energy. The decision could shape the city’s future approach to providing electricity for residents.

The Scoop, produced by Demaria Green

WMNF anchors Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Seán Kinane, Lisa Marzilli.
WMNF News Director Seán Kinane
WMNF reporters Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Lisa Marzilli, Seán Kinane, Sofia Caballero, Daria Mironova, Megan Fair, Luiza Medeiros de Campos, Hanna Lau, Joeniyah Carter, Jaelin Diehl.
Special thanks to Taylor Lovejoy and Corey Beltran.

Theme music, Fresh06, by Stian via archive.org – CC-BY-NC-SA 2.5
https://archive.org/details/jamendo-001084/02.mp3
The Scoop logo by Robin Milcowitz / Greener Pixels / greenerpixels.com / WMNF

The post The Scoop: Thurs. July 16, 2026, Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

A man was fatally hit by a truck as he fled from an ICE encounter in St. Augustine. He is the third person to die following an ICE encounter this week.

Sochor was 74 years old.

The push for environmental policies will prioritize concerns such as habitat protection and water quality.

Both candidates spoke about current tensions between local government and Florida legislation.

The Scoop, produced by Maeleigh Fricke

WMNF anchors Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Seán Kinane, Lisa Marzilli.
WMNF News Director Seán Kinane
WMNF reporters Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Lisa Marzilli, Seán Kinane, Sofia Caballero, Daria Mironova, Megan Fair, Luiza Medeiros de Campos, Hanna Lau, Joeniyah Carter, Jaelin Diehl.
Special thanks to Taylor Lovejoy and Corey Beltran.

Theme music, Fresh06, by Stian via archive.org – CC-BY-NC-SA 2.5
https://archive.org/details/jamendo-001084/02.mp3
The Scoop logo by Robin Milcowitz / Greener Pixels / greenerpixels.com / WMNF

The post The Scoop: Wed. July 15, 2026 Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

Dennis Michael Sochor is set to die next Tuesday for the death of a woman in Broward County 44 years ago. Separately, James Arden Duckett is also set to be executed for the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in 1987.

All other states offer at least 3 months for lawyers to dispute the execution. However, Florida only allows 30 days.

Last month, Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have increased E-Bike regulations. The Florida Bicycle Association says the lack of policy leaves many concerns unaddressed.

Republican state legislator Jack Latvala died yesterday at the age of 74.

The health department advises against any water-related activities there, due to an increased risk of illness in swimmers. Test results are available at FloridaHealth.gov/HealthyBeaches.

The Scoop, produced by Maeleigh Fricke

WMNF anchors Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Seán Kinane, Lisa Marzilli.
WMNF News Director Seán Kinane
WMNF reporters Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Lisa Marzilli, Seán Kinane, Sofia Caballero, Daria Mironova, Megan Fair, Luiza Medeiros de Campos, Hanna Lau, Joeniyah Carter, Jaelin Diehl.
Special thanks to Taylor Lovejoy and Corey Beltran.

Theme music, Fresh06, by Stian via archive.org – CC-BY-NC-SA 2.5
https://archive.org/details/jamendo-001084/02.mp3
The Scoop logo by Robin Milcowitz / Greener Pixels / greenerpixels.com / WMNF

The post The Scoop: Fri. July 10, 2026 Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down part of the law yesterday in a 2-to-1 decision.

On Friday, Gillum was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of dangerous drugs, and drug paraphernalia. He was then released the same day.

Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins is challenging investor James Fishback’s eligibility to be on the gubernatorial ballot.

The program will help keep residents informed after certain calls for police services and reported crimes.

The Scoop, produced by Maeleigh Fricke

WMNF anchors Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Seán Kinane, Lisa Marzilli.
WMNF News Director Seán Kinane
WMNF reporters Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Lisa Marzilli, Seán Kinane, Sofia Caballero, Daria Mironova, Megan Fair, Luiza Medeiros de Campos, Hanna Lau, Joeniyah Carter, Jaelin Diehl.
Special thanks to Taylor Lovejoy and Corey Beltran.

Theme music, Fresh06, by Stian via archive.org – CC-BY-NC-SA 2.5
https://archive.org/details/jamendo-001084/02.mp3
The Scoop logo by Robin Milcowitz / Greener Pixels / greenerpixels.com / WMNF

The post The Scoop: Wed. July 8, 2026 Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

Listen:

The Lakeland Police Department recently proposed to refresh their contract with public safety technology company Axon Enterprise Incorporated.

The department submitted the proposal to commissioner in April. It is part of a $21 million deal and includes the AI Early Adopters Program.

The AI Early adopters program would also grant the department access to software like Draft One, a police report writing system which operates using body camera footage.  

It also includes drones as first responders and body cameras with more than 50 languages in speech translation.  

Hans Lehman is an Assistant Chief at the Lakeland Police Department.

He said adding this technology comes from the department wanting to make better and faster decisions.

“If I’m out with a Spanish speaking person now and I don’t speak Spanish, I may have to call an officer from the other side of town or I may have to get on the language line where the body cam now can do that translation. So it’s a massive time saver.”

John Licato is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida’s Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing.

He said he worries about how the department will mitigate AI-induced psychosis and potentials for bias. 

“We have to kind of trust that open AI has done the proper testing or you know this 3rd party company that Lakeland’s using. We have to trust that they did rigorous examination across all these metrics of concern.”

Tampa, St. Pete and Miami are also using AI within their police departments. 

We made an error in broadcast earlier saying: “The police department recently renewed their contract with public safety technology company Axon Enterprise Incorporated.” The correct information would be “The police department recently proposed to refresh their contract with public safety technology company Axon Enterprise Incorporated.”

The post Lakeland PD Proposes AI Upgrades To Their Equipment appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

Update: Florida executed Dusty Ray Spencer on June 25.

Supporters of Florida death row inmate Dusty Ray Spencer are urging Governor Ron DeSantis to stop his scheduled execution. They argue decades behind bars have transformed the man convicted of killing his wife.

Spencer, 74, is scheduled to be executed June 25. If carried out, it would make him the oldest person executed in modern Florida history.

He was sentenced to death for the 1992 murder of his wife, Karen Spencer.

During a virtual press conference Wednesday, supporters argued the case raises broader questions about the purpose of capital punishment. They pointed to Spencer’s age and more than three decades on death row.

Felix Rogers, who has corresponded with Spencer for more than 30 years as a pen pal, said he believes Spencer is no longer the same person who committed the crime.

Wendy Ramage of the Execution Intervention Project said she has spent the past several months getting to know Spencer and sees a very different man than the one convicted in 1992.

“Dusty is a person who has touched my life through his sweetness and thoughtful and gentle spirit,” Ramage said.

Reverend Dr. Jeff Hood, Spencer’s spiritual advisor, said carrying out the execution would be unlike any other in Florida’s history because of Spencer’s age.

“We’re talking about a nursing home execution,” Hood said. “Florida is a state that has constantly said it is a welcoming place for retirees, for older people. What does this execution say about Florida’s relationship with older people?”

Supporters of Dusty Ray Spencer are asking DeSantis to spare his life and allow him to spend the remainder of his sentence in prison instead.

The post Dusty Ray Spencer supporters urge action from DeSantis appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

Florida voters could decide whether to allow public universities to limit enrollment for undocumented students.

Manatee County leaders are weighing new regulations for short-term vacation rentals. Officials say the changes aim to balance neighborhood concerns with growing the vacation rental market.

A former City of Tampa employee has filed a discrimination complaint, alleging unfair treatment during thier employment.

Residents in Lutz are speaking out against a proposed development they say could increase traffic and change the character of thier community.

The Scoop, produced by Demaria Green

WMNF anchors Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Seán Kinane, Lisa Marzilli.
WMNF News Director Seán Kinane
WMNF reporters Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Lisa Marzilli, Seán Kinane, Sofia Caballero, Daria Mironova, Megan Fair, Luiza Medeiros de Campos, Hanna Lau, Joeniyah Carter, Jaelin Diehl.
Special thanks to Taylor Lovejoy and Corey Beltran.

Theme music, Fresh06, by Stian via archive.org – CC-BY-NC-SA 2.5
https://archive.org/details/jamendo-001084/02.mp3
The Scoop logo by Robin Milcowitz / Greener Pixels / greenerpixels.com / WMNF

The post The Scoop: Thurs. June 25, 2026 Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.