HAPPENS, WE’LL BRING IT LIVE HERE RIGHT HERE ON NEWS. 6 CLICKORLANDO DOT COM.
>> JULIE: SHE IS ONE OF THE
MOST RECOGNIZABLE FEMALE LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN
CENTRAL FLORIDA. WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT LIEUTENANT KIM MONTEZ OF
THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL WHO
YOU’VE SEEN ON YOUR SCREEN
RIGHT HERE, TALKING ABOUT
TRAFFIC SAFETY FOR MORE THAN
20 YEARS.
>> BRIDGETT: BUT HER TENURE IS
ABOUT TO COME TO AN END AS SHE
BEGINS THE NEXT CHAPTER OF HER
LIFE RETIREMENT. SO AS WE WRAP
UP WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, SHE
SAT DOWN WITH 2 PER STEVEN
MONTIERO TO REFLECT ON HER
CAREER. TALK ABOUT WHAT’S
NEXT.
CAREER. TALK ABOUT WHAT’S
NEXT. call 1-800-QUIT NOW. >> I LOVE THE HIGHWAY PATROL
FOR LIEUTENANT KIM MONTEZ. I
LOVE BEING A TROOPER. THERE
WAS NEVER ANY QUESTION THAT
THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL WAS
WHERE SHE BELONGED TRAFFIC
SAFETY. WHERE I NEEDED TO BE.
IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE SEEING
DOUBLE WERE IDENTICAL TWINS
AND I THOUGHT I WANTED TO BE A
VETERINARY MY SISTER WANTED TO
BE A POLICE OFFICER SINCE SHE
WAS LITTLE SHE I SAW MY SISTER
FOR A COUPLE YEARS REALLY
ENJOY BEING A TROOPER AND
THAT’S REALLY KIND OF HOW IT
LED ME TO BE A TROOPER. SO I
HADN’T PLANNED ON BEING THE
SPOKESPERSON. IT JUST KIND OF
HAPPENED BY BECAME THE FIRST
TROOPER STATEWIDE IN THE
HISTORY, THE HIGH PATROL TO
BECOME THE PUBLIC INFORMATION
OFFICER HAS A P I O NO DAY IS
DULL. I NEVER CAN PLAN MY DAY
FROM THE TOUGHEST MOMENTS BACK
IN 2009, IT WAS THANKSGIVING
MORNING AND THE CRASH HAPPENED
HERE IN WINDERMERE INVOLVING
TIGER WOODS. THE FIRST DAY I
HAD A NEWS AGENCY CALL ME 68
TIMES TO THE BEST MEMORIES. I
GOT TO MEET ERIC ESTRADA. THAT
WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE
HIGHLIGHTS OF MY CAREER
BECAUSE HE CAME IN ACTUALLY TO
PROMOTE CAR SEAT SAFETY WITHIN
A LOT OF THE HISPANIC
COMMUNITIES. I DID GET TO MEET
AND TALK WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP.
THE DAYS ARE LONG AND THEY CAN
BE ROUGH. I’VE MADE OVER 100
NEXT OF KIN NOTIFICATIONS
THROUGHOUT MY CAREER. THAT IS
THE SADDEST PART OF OUR JOB.
THAT WAS THE SADDEST PART FOR
ME. BECAUSE IT’S NOT THE DEATH
OF SOMEBODY. IT’S THE FAMILY
THAT HAS TO DEAL WITH THAT.
AND THAT TO ME, IT WAS JUST
VERY EMOTIONAL. YEAH, I STILL
THINK ABOUT AS PEOPLE.
>> ONE OF THE PEOPLE SHE STILL
THINKS ABOUT DEPUTY NORM LEWIS
KILLED BACK IN 2017 RESPONDING
TO THE SHOOTING DEATH.
>> LIEUTENANT DEBRA CLAYTON
STATE WAS ON SCENE WITH ME AND
WE’RE TALKING THE MEDIA
REPORTER ASKED ME. ABOUT THIS
DEPUTY EVEN THOUGH WE HAD
RELEASED HIS NAME IN IT AND WE
KNEW NORM AND WE KNEW SUCH A
GREAT GUY. AND I THINK THAT’S
THE ONLY TIME I’VE EVER CRIED
ON TV. AND IT JUST HIT ME
BECAUSE IT WAS JUST SUCH A SAD
MOMENT. REMEMBER THAT? YEAH.
HAD IT. IT WAS. THAT WAS A
ROUGH MORNING.
>> AND I REMEMBER PUTTING MY
HAND ON YOUR BACK. YEAH. RE
GROUND LITTLE BIT. YEAH.
HAND ON YOUR BACK. YEAH. RE
GROUND LITTLE BIT. YEAH. call 1-800-QUIT NOW. >> SO THAT WAS THAT WAS THE
MOST EMOTIONAL I THINK I’VE
EVER BEEN ON TV. WHAT
SOMETHING ABOUT LIEUTENANT
MONTEZ THAT? NO ONE KNOWS. AND
THEY BE LIKE, OH, WOW, THE
MEDIA KNOWS I GO TO THE GYM.
EVERY AFTERNOON, A CERTAIN
TIME. AND THEN ALSO ME
FOSTERING KITTENS. I THINK
RIGHT NOW I’M UP TO 62
REHOMING OF KITTENS AND CATS
OVER ABOUT THE LAST 10 YEARS.
AND THAT HAS BEEN THE
DISTRESSING PART OF THIS JOB.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A
PROMINENT WOMAN, A LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER? I THINK
FOR WOMEN THEY HAVE TO
REALIZE. AS I DID, I WOULD
NEVER WANT TO GET A JOB JUST
BECAUSE I’M A WOMAN. I WANT.
EVERYBODY OUT THERE KNOW THAT
I EARNED IT. NOW SHE’S EARNED
HER RETIREMENT HANGING UP
THOSE KEYS GETTING READY FOR
LIFE AFTER THE PATROL.
>> WHAT’S THE FUTURE HAVE FOR
THE TENEMENT S NO GUN? NO.
MIKE.
>> NO HAHA.
>> I THINK IT’S TIME. I WANT
TO HAVE A LITTLE FARM. I’M
HUGE ANIMAL LOVER. YOU’RE
GOING TO MISS ANYTHING ABOUT
THE HOLDING A MESS. I’M GOING
TO MISS EVERY DAY PUTTING ON
THAT UNIFORM. I MISS THE
PEOPLE I MEET. I MADE A LOT OF
GOOD FRIENDS HERE AND AGAIN, I
MET MY HUSBAND AT THE HIGH
PATROL. THAT WILL BE ONE OF
THE BIGGEST THINGS I’VE TAKEN
AWAY FROM THIS AGENCY. AS I
MET MY LIFELONG PARTNER WHO I
COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS JOB
WITHOUT HIM. BUT THE PEOPLE
I’VE MET IN THE BE ABLE TO
MENTOR. IT IS SOMETHING
SPECIAL THAT I WILL CARRY WITH
ME FOR EVER, EVEN THOUGH I
DIDN’T PICK. THIS JOB WITHIN