Among Osceola County’s three home-based law enforcement agencies, nine officers have died in the line of duty since 1933.
Because of events like Tuesday’s annual Law Enforcement Memorial Service, attended by hundreds in and out of uniform, they will never be forgotten.
The county held its annual service Tuesday morning at Osceola Heritage Park. The Osceola law enforcement community’s solemn annual ceremony usually takes place in the Osceola County Courthouse courtyard, where a black granite Law Enforcement Memorial was erected in May 2021.
May 15 is recognized as National Law Enforcement Memorial Day, and the week it falls in is named National Police Week. As played during the Roll Call of Heroes, our country is the, “Land of the free because of the brave.”
“Greater love has no other than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” Osceola County Sheriff ’s Office Executive Director Nirva Rodriguez said, quoting the Bible’s Book of John. This passage is a lasting tribute to those law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice.
She noted 164 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in the United States in 2024, including eight from Florida. None have perished from Osceola County since August 2021, when Sheriff ’s Deputy Michael Webb, who passed of COVID-19 related causes on Aug. 25, 2021.
Including the Osceola County Corrections Department, 24 nonline of duty deaths were also honored Tuesday. Fellow officers, or family members of the fallen present, adorned a memorial wreath with blue roses, to mark each hero.
Kissimmee Police Chief Chuck Broadway, on duty in Osceola County for just five weeks but has a nearly threedecade career serving those who need protecting and run toward things other ran away from, gave one of Tuesday’s keynote speeches. He said Tuesday wasn’t just to gather, but to honor, with their family members, the legacy of the fallen.
“We commit to always remembering their sacrifice,” he said. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out you were born, when you find your passion, purpose and calling in life. One day, all of our fallen heroes discovered why they were born, and made the decision to take the oath of office to serve such a noble profession. I believe outside of military service, law enforcement is the highest calling one can pursue.
“All of them answered the call, so when wrong was done, they ensured justice was served. They lived to protect children from predators, the elderly from scams and exploitation, to eradicate drug trafficking and track down dangerous fugitives—to enhance the quality of life for all. They knew the risks, yet still chose to go toward the danger. They all leave a legacy that makes a difference in the hearts and minds of future generations that will outlive all of us, one that we strive to uphold every day.”
County Judge Juna Palayya also spoke, noting these officers woke up one morning, said goodbye to their families, and never came home after protecting other families.
“We can vow never to forget the sacrifices made by those lost. Few professions require such courage and selflessness,” he said. “They are the men and women who quietly, without notoriety, help a family who needs food or a child in need of a bike. I see the work every day from my position. I’m safe because those who I see today.”
The event featured a helicopter flyover during an outdoor 21-gun salute, and the playing of Taps by a bugler and Amazing Grace by a bagpiper.
