Protecting The Palm Beaches, A Tribute to Those Who Serve and Sacrifice
Bottom Line: This weekly feature is designed to recognize those who've paid the ultimate price in service and to serve as a reminder of what our police risk to keep us safe. After years of increases in LODs, including multiple record years, thankfully 2023 produced the fewest line-of-duty deaths in the 2000’s. Let’s pray for the improvement to continue this year.
- We lost 123 heroes in the line-of-duty in 2023 including 3 in Florida
- We’ve lost 3 heroes in the line-of-duty in 2024
These are the heroes we’ve lost since the previous update:
- In Arkansas, Deputy Justin Smith (pictured) was murdered while attempting to serve an arrest warrant. The suspect opened fire on Justin upon opening the door to his home. After a standoff other responding officers detained the suspect.
- In Georgia, Deputy Eric Minix died due to injuries sustained during a crash resulting from a high-speed chase. The chase involved a suspect in a stolen vehicle and extended across state lines involving a total of seven law enforcement agencies. The suspect was eventually stopped and detained in Alabama. Eric is survived by a wife and two children.
- In Mississippi, Deputy Jeremy Malone was murdered during a traffic stop. The suspect opened fire as Jeremy approached the vehicle and fled the scene. Responding officers returned fire killing the suspect following a foot chase. He’s survived by his wife and three children.
As we reflect on those we’ve lost, please remember the families of our fallen as well. The average age is 45, the average tour-of-duty – 15 years. In addition to losing 3 law enforcement professionals in the line-of-duty this year, there are 2 widows and 5 children who’ve lost a parent.