I’m a Florida Cop — Here’s the Dark Side of the Job | Danny Herrera

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.8 • 745 Ratings

🗓️ 19 March 2026

⏱️ 132 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Danny Herrera joins Locked In with Ian Bick to share his journey from being a teacher to becoming a police officer in Florida and the life-changing moments he experienced on the job. Danny talks about the first real call he responded to that still haunts him today, the officer-involved shooting he survived, and the mental health challenges many police officers quietly deal with. He also explains why he chose to become a school resource officer, what it takes to keep kids safe in today’s world, and how he later trained to become a hostage negotiator. This episode dives into the reality of modern policing, the emotional toll of the job, and the lessons Danny has learned from some of the most intense moments of his career. _____________________________________________ #floridacop #policeofficer #lawenforcement #copstories #policelife #truecrime #policepodcast #ianbick _____________________________________________ Thanks to GOLD DROP SELTZERS for sponsoring this episode: Head to https://www.thedryoak.com/ and use promo code LOCKEDIN at checkout for 10% off your order. _____________________________________________ Connect with Danny Herrera: https://www.instagram.com/officerdanny.safe?igsh=MXVmemo1NHJxMnYzMg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 First Big Police Calls & Real-Life Chaos 00:56 Growing Up in a Cuban Family 04:07 Family Values, Discipline & Life Lessons 07:19 Teen Struggles & Early Life Challenges 13:02 Personal Loss That Changed Everything 16:22 From Odd Jobs to Becoming a Teacher 21:11 Leaving Teaching for a Career in Law Enforcement 24:33 How Teaching Helped Me Become a Better Cop 26:42 Police Academy Training & First Days 32:27 First Patrols & Field Training Experience 35:35 First Arrests & Gaining Confidence as a Cop 40:19 The Call That Changed Me Forever 48:55 PTSD, Trauma & Mental Health in Policing 54:00 Officer-Involved Shooting — What Really Happened 01:01:01 Breaking Down a Critical Incident 01:08:28 Policing with Empathy, Humor & Respect 01:14:08 Becoming a School Resource Officer (SRO) 01:21:20 School Safety, Lockdowns & Crisis Preparation 01:25:20 Warning Signs in At-Risk Youth 01:27:00 Parenting, Accountability & Society Today 01:33:00 Role Models, Family & Life Decisions 01:38:00 Becoming a Hostage Negotiator 01:41:47 Hostage Negotiation Tactics & Psychology 01:48:28 Real Hostage Situations & De-escalation 02:03:02 Lessons from a Career in Law Enforcement 02:08:39 The Human Side of Policing 02:11:06 Final Thoughts & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I think every officer has that first big call that kind of like solidifies. This is what I was meant to do.
0:04.5	Is it hard to run towards the enemy to render aid in that moment? We see all the time in these shooting incidents on the news. The bad guy will get shot by police and then police still have to go render aid to that person. There's always those moments in these calls where you're like, bro, how the heck am I going to get? this person is being just difficult.
0:21.4	They don't want to come out.
0:22.4	They're like F you.
0:23.3	They're hanging up on you.
0:24.3	Danny Herrera. those moments in these calls where you're like, bro, how the heck am I going to get this person is being just difficult. They don't want to come out. They're like F you. They're hanging up on you.
0:24.2	Danny Herrera was once a teacher before deciding to leave the classroom and become a police
0:29.0	officer in Florida. But the reality of the job was far different than he expected. In this episode,
0:34.2	Danny shares the first call that still haunts him to this day, the officer involved shooting he survived,
0:39.3	and the mental health struggles many officers quietly deal with.
0:42.5	He also talks about becoming a school resource officer responsible for protecting kids
0:47.0	and how he later trained as a hostage negotiator working in some of the most intense situations law enforcement faces.
0:57.0	So I grew up in Hialeah, Florida.
0:59.0	Okay, Hialeah, Florida is in Miami County.
1:02.0	They call it almost like a sub-city, like of Miami.
1:06.0	Very heavy Cuban population, just Hispanic population.
1:10.0	You know, a lot of Dominicans, Venezuelans,
1:12.5	were not predominantly Cuban, and grew up in a very, very humble beginnings. My parents,
1:20.8	my siblings and I have an older sister. I have a younger brother. And it was, I call it the
1:25.3	Corps Five. It was just us. You you know we did have uncles and aunts
1:30.7	somewhere you know in there and and grandparents or whatever but well I had a grandfather
1:36.2	the rest of my grandparents passed before I was born but nothing nothing like how my kids
	...

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