HollyMatkinGainesville, FL – One of the Florida “hot cops,” whose Hurricane Irma cleanup photo went viral in 2017, has taken a leave of absence to join the cast of the next season of “Survivor,” police sources said.
Gainesville Police Department (GPD) Officer Daniel Rengering, Officer John Nordman, and Officer Michael Hamill rose to fame after they posted a selfie to the GPD’s Facebook page, just before they set out to clear debris left by the hurricane in September, FOX News reported.
The officers were immediately lauded for their good looks, which led to a multitude of flirtatious – and often comical – comments attached to the post.
The number one comment on the post said, “…as if Florida wasn’t already wet enough,” prompting a response from the department.
According to TMZ, police sources said that Officer Rengering was approached by the CBS reality show’s producers approximately six months ago, and that he agreed to come on board for the 37th season of “Survivor.”
On Friday, GPD Officer Ben Tobias confirmed that Officer Rengering had taken a leave from the department, but would not say why, according to The Gainesville Sun.
TMZ reported that the officer’s job would be waiting for him when he returns.
Officer Rengering was reportedly scheduled to leave for Fiji by the end of the week, to begin filming the upcoming season, TMZ’s sources said.
While opportunities have abounded for Officer Rengering, the same can’t be said for Officer Hamill, who came under fire for anti-Semitic social media posts he made years prior to being hired by the department.
He was also accused of having sex while on duty, and resigned from GPD on Dec. 6, 2017, FOX News reported.
The officers’ photo received 517,000 likes, 181,000 comments, and was shared 276,000 times before it was removed from the GPD’s Facebook page, according to FOX News.