“I was the chief of police at the Pensacola Police Department, and when the call went out, it was one of those all hands on deck type of calls, so we all went, but we showed up. When I got there, it was pretty much over with,” Simmons said. “It’s one of those things in law enforcement that it can go wrong at any moment. There’s a book called ‘The Power of Moments,’ and I think that comes into play when you think about your life can change in an instant or in a moment.”
- He continued, “With regards to Jeremy, that one moment has defined the rest of his life for 15 years. He worked to recover from that one moment, and every moment was important. Certainly the minutes were important. In the days right after the shooting, I recall a candlelight vigil. I recall a lot of blood drives. I was at the hospital a couple times because I did know the family. I had worked with his dad, Henry Cassidy, for a number of years, and knew his mother, Julia, for those years.”
Background: On Oct. 29, 2010, Deputies Jeremy Cassady, Chad Brown and Sam Parker responded to the home invasion call in a neighborhood off Scenic Highway about Interstate 10. Upon arrival, they heard screaming. Forcing their way into the home, they discovered Phillip Monier, who immediately opened fire, using his ex-girlfriend, Jackie Rosenbloom, as a shield. During the close-range gunfire exchange, the deputies and the hostage suffered gunshot wounds. Monier dragged Rosenbloom into the bathroom and turned on the faucets to flood the home. Cassady was critically wounded.
- He underwent a kidney and pancreas transplant. He later suffered kidney failure again, requiring dialysis at home. Cassady took a medical retirement from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in October 2012. His family has stated that the oral throat cancer that claimed his life in 2025 was linked to the anti-rejection medication he had needed after his transplant.
Simmons said the 2010 shooting affected those in law enforcement. “When you have something that happened like that to a law enforcement officer, it makes every other law enforcement officer stop and think that this could be the next call that you go on. This type of thing could happen, but that’s what makes this job so special that there are people that are willing to, even though the call sounds bad, even though it sounds hazardous, there are men and women that are still very much willing to do the job, to try to help someone, even though it could get them serious injured or it could, in this case ultimately get them killed.”
Obituary
—published on Legacy.com by Trahan Family Funeral Home of Milton on Jul. 19, 2025.
He was preceded in death by his father, Henry G. Cassady.
Special thanks to Cutting Board, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and those that provided healthcare during his journey, including Vitas Healthcare, Fresenius Kidney Care, Dr. Humeda, Sacred Heart Hospital, and many others.
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