TAMPA, Fla. — The Seminole Heights neighborhood is coming together this Thanksgiving to support their law enforcement officers and others in their community.
The idea for a pop-up Thanksgiving meal at Spaddy's Coffee Co. on Florida Ave. started small, but quickly grew.
"I put up a Facebook post and everybody wants to help," said Shane Krugman, who started the volunteer dinner with his wife. "So it's amazing."
Together with dozens of neighborhood volunteers, they put together a full holiday feast for people in the community and the law enforcement officers who have been patrolling the streets, working long shifts since the recent killings.
"It's just a great thing to see that everyone is sticking together and we're not going to let a situation like this divide us," said Chief Brian Dugan of the Tampa Police Department. "We have to stay strong and we have to stay focused,"
Dugan said his officers will continue to patrol the streets this Thanksgiving, saying the investigation cannot let up until the person linked to four shooting deaths in the neighborhood is caught.
"I'm thankful for the cops that are out there and I'm very thankful for the people in the community for the way they have rallied behind the police department," Dugan said.
People in the community say they will not give into fear.
"It shows that we can't like let stuff like that scare us as a community you know? We have to all look out for each other," said Luis Espell, who works in Seminole Heights.
