UPDATED BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT (9/29/2025):
Hats off, flags half-staffed, and hearts heavy this morning inside Restoration Place as the community mourns the loss of Trooper Craig Gaines.
“The way people live their lives is an expression of who they are. Craig said very little. He didn’t need pomp and circumstance; he just lived his life as a good person, and I think that is very evident today that we all feel that way,” Phyllis Watson, extended family member, said.
At the ceremony, there was music, speakers from Gaines' friends and family, and other law enforcement.
Corporal Patricia Shaw, a colleague-turned-close friend, shared what Trooper Gaines meant to her personally.
“ We are going to miss Trooper Gains. He is going to be forever in my heart. Like I say he wasn’t just a trooper or a colleague he was a good friend to me, and I miss him and I wish I could have him back," Shaw said.
Gaines passed away on September 19th following medical complications related to a leg injury he received during a FAMU football game earlier this month.
On Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis ordered flags at half-staff in his honor.
"He was the utmost respected, and he respected everybody," Shaw said.
At the ceremony, Pastor Kenny Frame wrote a poem for Trooper Gains that moved the audience and reminded them of exactly what Trooper Gains stood for.
"I wrote a poem and I wrote it from the bottom of my heart. He loved being a state Trooper and wearing the tan and black, because all of his fellow troopers knew that Craig had their back," Frame said.
Those who knew Trooper Gaines best describe him as "very warm and sensitive, very fun-loving, very giving, totally family man, and loved his wife and children."
And amid the grief, the family had Corporal Shaw share a message on their behalf
"They are happy, they are glad to see the honor that the community has for Trooper Gains," Shaw said.
8:30 a.m.:
Today, Fallen Trooper Craig Gaines will be laid to rest. His services will be at Restoration Place at 10:00 a.m. in Tallahassee. FHP says the procession will be heading south on N. Monroe.
Gaines passed away on September 19th following medical complications related to a leg injury he received during a college football game earlier this month. On Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis ordered flags at half-staff at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Headquarters, the Troop H Headquarters, the Gadsden County Courthouse, and the City Hall of Quincy in his honor.
In a social media post, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and FHP said the funeral will be live-streamed on their YouTube page:
WATCH SERVICES BELOW:
If anyone would like to donate to the Gaines family, you can do so by clicking here. They said after selecting the amount to contribute, please write in the “make a note” section, “for Trooper Gaines.”
They say that if you would like to send any cards or other items to the Gaines family, items may be sent to the following address:
Florida Highway Patrol
C/O Captain Jason King
2100 Mahan Drive
Tallahassee, Florida 32308
UPDATE (9/27/2025):
FAMU fans held a moment of silence for Trooper Craig Gaines before the game against Alabama State.
- Gaines was injured while providing security at a previous game and later fell ill, passing away on September 19.
- Florida will fly flags at half-staff on Monday to honor Trooper Gaines.
- He is remembered as a dedicated officer, leaving behind a wife and three children.
Broadcast Transcript:
Fans at FAMU's home game Saturday held a moment of silence to honor Trooper Craig Gaines.
The tribute came before the game against Alabama State, as students, families, and fans paused to remember the fallen FHP Trooper. Gaines was providing security at FAMU's game against Florida Atlantic earlier this month when he was accidentally hit on the sideline, breaking his leg.
About two weeks later, he started feeling ill and passed away on September 19.
UPDATE (9/26/2025):
Governor Ron DeSantis has ordered flags at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Headquarters, the Troop H Headquarters, the Gadsden County Courthouse, and the City Hall of Quincy to be flown at half-staff on Monday, September 29th, for fallen Trooper Craig Gaines.
Gaines passed away last week following medical complications related to a leg injury he received during a college football game earlier this month.
Original:
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper, according to the Fraternal Order of Police Florida Lodge, died from medical complications following a leg injury at a college football game earlier this month.
Gaines had been serving as lead security for Florida A&M University Head Football Coach James Colzie III. The police union says he traveled with the FAMU football team to Boca Raton on Sept. 6 for their game against Florida Atlantic University.
According to a Facebook post from the FOP Florida State Lodge, while on the FAMU sideline, Gaines was unintentionally struck by players at the end of a play. The post says at first he shook it off but later experienced pain. Later, an evaluation showed he fractured his leg.
While off duty at his home on Sept. 19, Gaines called FHP dispatch, reporting that he was feeling ill. According to the union, his condition rapidly deteriorated during the call, and he died before first responders could save him.
The FOP Florida State Lodge expresses condolences to the Gaines family and the Florida Highway Patrol.
As part of his regular duties, the union says Gaines regularly traveled with the FAMU football team on away games while serving as the head coach's security detail.
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