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Tab 10
Daily Commercial, The (Leesburg, FL)
January 18, 2001
Clermont officer resigns
Author: MARCY J. LEVINSON
The sudden resignation of Clermont Police Lt. Danny Cheatham on Wednesday had nothing to
do with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's request for Cheatham's file on the same
day, Police Chief Randall Story said Thursday.
Story said an FDLE auditor began the investigation around 9 a.m., but Cheatham had turned in
his resignation at 8:15 a.m. Story said investigators chose six files at random, including
Cheatham's, to check the accuracy of the paperwork.
That had nothing to do with Cheatham's resignation, which was for personal reasons involving
his family, Story said.
"He hit me (with the resignation) basically when I walked in the door," Story said.
Cheatham could not be reached Thursday.
Clermont Mayor Hal Turville said he had heard of no correlation between the FDLE audit and
Cheatham's resignation.
"As a person, I liked Danny Cheatham," Turville said, "and I know he had a significant role in
the department."
Clermont City Manager Wayne Saunders said Cheatham helped limit drug trafficking and other
criminal activity in Clermont.
"If you do your job right, you step on a lot of toes," Saunders said. "He has been attacked in the
past and will be attacked now. But he has always stood tall during any attacks."
Saunders said Cheatham accelerated through the city ranks in record time, and it will be difficult
to find a replacement with so much drive.
"(Cheatham) just worked his way through the department very fast," Saunders said. "He was
doing a great job, especially with orientating new officers. His will be a difficult uniform to fill."
Cheatham, a former member of the Umatilla police force, joined the Clermont department in
1989 and eventually became second in command.
Although Cheatham resigned Wednesday morning and no longer works at the department, Story
said Cheatham's resignation is final Feb. 2. He said Cheatham has accrued paid time off and will
use that until February.
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