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 70 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 South Carolina, Lieutenant Michael Wood was killed in a crash while responding to an emergency call. He’s survived by a wife and two children.
- In California, Deputy Alejandro Martinez (pictured) died during a training exercise. He was an Army National Guard veteran.
- In Tennessee, Sergeant William Cherry died in an accident while on patrol. He’s survived by his wife and three children.
- In Louisiana, Deputy Marshal Giglio was murdered while serving an arrest warrant. The suspect opened fire critically wounding one responding officer while killing Marshal. He’s survived by his son.
- In Puerto Rico, Sergeant Pedro Torres-Santos was murdered in a drive-by shooting while on security duty. He is survived by a wife and three children.
- In South Carolina, Officer Matthew Hare was struck and killed by a train while rescuing a suicidal person who was on the tracks. His rescue was successful.
As we reflect on those we’ve lost, please remember the families of our fallen as well. The average age is 40, the average tour-of-duty – 13 years. In addition to losing 70 law enforcement professionals in the line-of-duty this year, there are 34 widows and 82 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.