Florida Sheriffs Association Honors Fallen Officers at Ceremony
For Immediate Release
Tallahassee, FL (May 6, 2013) – Today, the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) honored all 346 officers whose names are etched on the FSA Memorial Wall. Attorney General Pam Bondi joined FSA Executive Director Steve Casey, FSA President Sheriff Susan Benton and many sheriffs from across the state at the FSA Memorial Wall to pay tribute to the men and women who died while serving their communities.
Law enforcement officers go to work everyday and put their lives on the line to protect our rights and freedoms, and the month of May is dedicated to remembering all those who gave their lives in the line of duty – these officers made the ultimate sacrifice for Floridians and their communities.
“We were honored to have Attorney General Pam Bondi as our keynote speaker today as she and her staff has been instrumental in supporting law enforcement,” said Executive Director Steve Casey. “We are grateful for the opportunity to pay our respects to these fallen officers and their families.”
“Having personally attended countless funerals for Florida’s fallen officers I am personally touched by the support here today,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The FSA Memorial Wall is a great reminder to everyone of the daily sacrifices from our law enforcement.”
Today’s ceremony honored the ultimate sacrifice made in 2012 by three deputies whose names were added to the Memorial Wall for this ceremony. Family members and sheriffs from counties of those who died were also recognized. Honored were:
• Brevard County Deputy Barbara Pill – end of watch March 6, 2012; cause of death: gunfire. Earlier this year the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office broke ground on a new precinct office that will be named in her honor.
• Deputy Christopher Schaub, Broward County - end of watch September 26, 2012, cause of death: motorcycle accident. Deputy Schaub regularly assisted with a bike ride to honor fallen officers. This year marked the first time the riders rode in honor of officers that helped with their ride.
• Detective David White, Clay County - end of watch February 16, 2012, cause of death: gunfire. On February 23, 2012, the Florida Senate passed a resolution expressing the deepest sympathy on the death of Detective White.
The hundreds in attendance paid a special tribute to the two sheriff’s deputies who lost their lives in 2013, Sergeant Gary Morales and Master Deputy Joseph Shane Robbins, with a moment of silence as a riderless horse was led across the memorial. Sgt. Morales was tragically killed during a traffic stop when the suspect got out of his vehicle and shot Morales who was sitting in his patrol car. Master Deputy Robbins suffered fatal injuries during a single vehicle accident when he lost control of his patrol car and crashed into some trees; the cause of the accident is still under investigation.
The FSA Memorial Wall provided a wonderful background for today’s ceremony as it represents the dedication of Florida’s Sheriffs' Offices. The wall, established in 2002, was created to honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty. Each day that our sheriffs and deputies dedicate themselves to protecting Floridians is a day for us to remember those who have passed.
Find more information on the FSA website memorial page: [url=http://www.flsheriffs.org/about/memorial/]http://www.flsheriffs.org/about/memorial/[/url]
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