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. Here are the harsh realities regarding the rise risk in society for law enforcement.
- There were 229 line-of-duty deaths in 2022 including 10 in Florida
- We’ve lost 56 heroes in the line-of-duty this year including 3 in Florida
While LODs thankfully dropped from 2021’s record levels last year, that was mostly due to few COVID-related deaths. Sadly, LODs were 40% higher than 2019 – the most recent pre-COVID year – illustrating the continued risk for law enforcement amid a rise in violence against law enforcement. We’ve lost these heroes since the previous update:
- In Alabama, Officer Carlos Taylor died of injuries sustained during an accident while enroute to an emergency call.
- In Indiana, Sergeant Heather Glenn was murdered while attempting to detain a suspect in a domestic violence incident. The suspect shot Heather during an attempted arrest. Other responding officers returned fire killing the suspect.
- In the US Virgin Islands, Detective Delberth Phipps Jr. was murdered while responding to a report of a suspicious person at a hospital. The suspect, who was out on bond from a pending murder charge, opened fire on Delberth as he attempted to remove him from the hospital’s grounds. Responding officers detained the suspect.
- In Georgia, Deputy Tyee Browne (pictured) was murdered after a traffic stop involving a stolen vehicle. The suspect opened fire as he approached the vehicle. Tyee’s vehicle was then stolen resulting in a chase with the suspect eventually being taken into custody. Tyee was an Army veteran.
As we reflect on those we’ve lost, please remember the families of our fallen as well. The average age is 39, the average tour-of-duty – 11 years. In addition to losing 56 law enforcement professionals in the line-of-duty this year, there are 29 widows and 69 children who’ve lost a parent.
Remember to back the badge and spread the word. Media often aren't there for our law enforcement, but we can be. Let our police, and their families know we support them every chance you get. They need it more than ever, just as we need them more than ever.