MILTON —The Santa Rosa County Sherriff’s Office held a law enforcement memorial honoring nine fallen law enforcement officers and two K-9 units in the state of Florida.
Those nine were the following:
- Lieutenant Debra Clayton of the Orlando Police Department
- Deputy First Norman Lewis of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office
- Officer Joshua Montaad of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Master Seargent William Bishop of the Florida Highway Patrol
- Correctional Officer Joe Heddy of the Escambia County Corrections
- Police Officer Matthew Baxter of the Kissimme Police Department
- Sergent Richard Howard of the Kissimmee Police Deparment
- Sergeant Joseph Ossman of the Florida Department of Corrections
- Deputy Sheriff Julie Bridges of the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office
The K-9 units were K-9 Diesel of the Sebastian Police Department and K-9 Freckles of the Florida Department of Corrections.
“We are here to honor these men and women for their sacrifice,” Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said.
SRSO memorial services have taken place since 2009 when former Sheriff Wendell Hall began the tradition.
The guest speaker for the service was, Ted Taylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola.
“It is important that we forgot not those who have gone before us and the fact that they have done the ultimate sacrifice,” Taylor said. “These that we honor today paid the price. They laid down their lives.”
Visit www.srpressgazette.com to view memorial footage.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: 'We are here to honor these men and women for their sacrifice'