Protecting The Palm Beaches – September 4th, 2026 – Brought to You By Good Greek Moving And Storage
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.
Following a 17% rise in Line-of-duty-deaths nationally in 2024, significant progress was made in 2025 as LODs declined by 46% year-over-year to the lowest level this century. Otherwise, it was a mixed bag. A total of 347 officers were shot in the line of duty – a 2% increase year over year.
- We lost 90 heroes in the line of duty in 2025 including 8 in Florida
- We’ve lost 65 heroes in the line of duty in 2026 including 2 in Florida
We’ve lost these heroes since the previous update:
- In South Carolina, Officer Christopher Delong, Jr. was murdered while responding to a domestic disturbance call. Upon arriving on the scene, the suspect who had a lengthy criminal history, began firing on responding officers killing Christopher. The suspect was killed with return fire. Chris is survived by his wife and two children.
- In Oklahoma, Wildlife Officer David Taylor was killed while evacuating residents during a wildfire. After a wildfire broke out in a remote community in Comanche County, David went door-to-door alerting people for the need to evacuate. He successfully evacuated the community; however, his body was found near the final home he'd evacuated having succumbed to the conditions. A Navy veteran, David, is survived by his wife and son.
- In Georgia, Sergeant Chris Fisher (pictured) was murdered in a targeted ambush. While stopped in his patrol call another vehicle pulled up and the driver opened fire on Chris killing him at the scene. The suspect fled, however authorities were quickly able to track him down at which point the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot. The suspect had recently been arrested by Sergeant Fischer. Chris is survived by his wife and two children.
As we reflect on those we’ve lost, please remember the families of our fallen as well. The average age of the fallen is 40; the average tour-of-duty is 10 years. In addition to losing 65 law enforcement professionals in the line-of-duty this year, there are 41 widows and 71 children who’ve lost a parent. Remember to back the badge and spread the word. They need us just as much as we need them.