The past several months have been extremely tough on law enforcement officers.
So far this year, 53 have died in the line of duty, with 27 of those involving gunfire.
Those numbers include a Highlands County deputy who died May 7 after being shot while responding to a dispute between neighbors over a cat. And they also include two Gilchrist County deputies who were gunned down last month while eating lunch at a restaurant in Trenton.
Closer to home, two Marion County deputies escaped injury last month when they were shot at in two separate incidents. And more than 100 law enforcement officers put themselves in danger while responding to the April 20 shooting at Forest High School.
So, how have deputies and officers responded since these senseless shootings have rocked them to the core? Not surprisingly, the answer is exactly like you would expect trained professionals to do. They’ve gotten up every day, put on their uniforms, kissed their spouses, children and loved ones goodbye and headed off to protect and serve.
You know what’s interesting about that? Along the way, many of them have gone above and beyond, making huge differences in the lives of those they’ve come in contact with.
For instance, off-duty Marion County K-9 Deputy Jeremie Nix was flagged down this past Wednesday afternoon by a frantic mother whose baby boy was unresponsive. One second Nix was sitting at a red light thinking about spending time with his family and the next he’s doing everything possible to save an infant before making the split-second decision to rush the child to nearby Ocala Regional Medical Center.
The next day, Baby Kingston was released from the hospital with a clean bill of health. And Nix was rightly hailed as a hero for saving the young boy’s life – a day he called the most rewarding and emotional of his career.
Let’s not forget Marion County Deputy Jim Long, who took the Forest High School shooter into custody within three minutes of hearing the shot that wounded another student. One minute the school resource officer is having a normal day interacting with students and the next he’s risking his own life to save others.
Long’s actions that morning earned him the Medal of Heroism from Gov. Rick Scott in an emotional ceremony that saw the veteran deputy choke up in front of his family and colleagues. And as you might expect, Long was quick to credit others at Forest High – his alma mater – for playing a part in the quick end to a situation that could have been much worse.
There’s also some unnamed Lady Lake police officers who were called to an April Hills home last week after a 3-year-old child was struck by her mother’s car. When they arrived and found the child bleeding and unresponsive, they quickly swung into action, desperately trying to revive the mortally wounded youngster.
The list goes on and on. In January 2014, off-duty Sumter County Deputy Alan Hamilton helped subdue a gunman in a Pasco County theater after an episode left one man dead and a woman injured. Hamilton was there with his wife, trying to enjoy a night off when an argument erupted between a retired police captain and a couple who was texting inside the theater. Without thinking, Hamilton put himself in harm’s way to protect everyone else in the theater.
More recently, Sumter County Deputy Chris Rafferty was named Law Officer of the Year by American Legion Post 347 for his commitment and service to the local community – an honor that earned him high praise from sheriff’s Capt. Tony Prevatt.
“Dep. Rafferty is a dedicated law enforcement officer who always gives the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of Sumter County 110 percent,” he said.
Stories like these of unwavering dedication to protect and serve happen every day. We oftentimes don’t hear about them, because most law enforcement officers – including those mentioned above – don’t seek the limelight. They just want to do their jobs to the best of their abilities and then spend quality time with their loved ones.
As we said earlier, the past several months have been tough on law enforcement officers. But deep down, we believe the majority of people across the country support them. And we know they’re very thankful for their service.
We certainly are and we’re quite proud to say it.
