Retired Lakeland deputy police chief with Alzheimer’s found safe at St. Pete WaWa

A retired deputy police chief from Lakeland who has dementia and Alzheimer’s was found safe on Friday at a St. Petersburg WaWa.

Retired Lakeland deputy chief Clarence Grier had been missing since Wednesday afternoon. He was last seen about 4:30 p.m. that day leaving a residence near West Eighth Street in Lakeland in a pickup.

The truck was seen north of Ocala at about 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning. The truck at that time was traveling north on Jacksonville Road at County Road 326.

Polk officials launched a search for Grier. They released no other details Friday other than saying he had been found safe at a St. Petersburg WaWa and was “safe and sound.”