First Black woman sergeant in Coral Springs dies after six-year cancer battle
Sergeant Ebony Winn of the Coral Springs Police Department has died after a six-year battle with cancer.
“Sgt. Winn was more than a dedicated member of our department,” the Coral Springs Police Department wrote in a Saturday Facebook post announcing her passing. “She was a daughter, sister, friend, and a source of strength to everyone who knew her. As we mourn her loss, we also take a moment to honor the life she lived and the legacy she leaves behind.”
Tributes poured in from colleagues and loved ones, who memorialized her as a warrior, mentor and “community servant.”
Winn joined the department in 2007 — a dream she had had since childhood. She then climbed through the ranks, first on road patrol, then as a detective investigating theft and robbery cases.
Winn became the first Black woman to become a sergeant in the department in 2018 and served on multiple specialty teams, including field training, crisis intervention and crisis negotiation, according to the South Florida chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.
A year later, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor — adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare form of cancer. About 1,200 Americans are diagnosed with it every year, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
After over a year of treatment, documented on her Facebook page, Winn’s doctors told her she was in remission. She returned to the Coral Springs Police Department full time in 2020 and became an advocate for pediatric cancer patients.
“Anytime I get the opportunity to positively impact someone’s life, it’s an accomplishment,” she said in 2022, according to a post from the police department.
But doctors flagged a new growth during a checkup in February 2024, according to a post on Winn’s Facebook page.
It’s not an uncommon occurrence with salivary tumors, which often return after a patient’s first round of treatment. Despite the news, Winn remained optimistic.
Her second battle with cancer included immunotherapy, radiation and a trip to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City with her father.
She stopped posting in May.
“Despite facing a long and difficult battle with cancer, Ebony fought with the same determination and courage she carried throughout her career,” the Coral Springs Fraternal Order of Police wrote in a post. “She continued to pour love into her family and strength into those who looked up to her. Her resilience was extraordinary, and her spirit remained unbroken until the very end.”
The police union has launched a GoFundMe in Winn’s name for funeral and memorial costs, as well as taking care of her family.
She has also been memorialized by organizations across the region.
“Sgt. Winn served with courage, compassion, and unwavering dedication to her community,” the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives South Florida Chapter wrote in a Facebook post Monday. “Her strength and commitment will forever be remembered.”
