Leon Co. Sheriff's Office unveils memorial dedicated to 'the ultimate sacrifice' of fallen deputies
The Leon County Sheriff's Office lit the eternal flame that is the centerpiece of a newly renovated memorial in honor of deputies who've died in the line of duty Thursday morning.
The eternal flame sits in a glass box hovering at least six feet off the ground and is directly behind a white marble gravestone carved with the names of fallen deputies meant to remind onlookers "of the purity of their sacrifice," said Sheriff Walt McNeil.
The early morning ceremony at LCSO's headquarters, 2825 Municipal Way featured dozens of law enforcement officers from across the state and began with an introductory speech by McNeil.
"We take this time this morning to remind ourselves and this community that there's comfort in knowing that law enforcement is a special calling," he said at the podium, standing in front of the memorial. "We take this time to bring our community together to both honor our heroes and bring comfort to our family's loved ones."
Each attendee, including the family members of fallen soldiers, was handed a bracelet adorned with the name of each of LCSO's fallen deputies, including the recently deceased K-9, Koda.
The renovations to the memorial, including the curved wall that illuminates at night and the eternal flame, cost approximately $40,000 utilizing Leon County, Capital Improvement Funds.
"Ultimately, we wanted to create a memorial to appropriately honor these men who gave the ultimate sacrifice," wrote LCSO spokesperson Angela Green in a statement.
The ceremony was punctuated with a drill by LCSO's Honor Guard Unit and a flyover from the sheriff's office's Aviation Unit.
"We give honor to God for the sacrifices of our brothers," McNeil said in his solemn address. "We welcome you on their behalf. We thank you for realizing that they are, indeed, heroes who've made ... it safer for each and everyone of us."
The fallen LCSO deputies featured in the memorial
Correctional Deputy Michael "Andy" Nowak, 52, died in August 2021 due to COVID-19 complications.
Deputy Sheriff Christopher Smith, 47, was shot from ambush when he responded to reports of a house fire at the end of Caracus Court, according to LCSO. He died in November 2014.
K9 Koda was shot and killed as he attempted to take down a subject following a vehicle pursuit in January 2014.
Deputy Sheriff Khomas Revels was shot and killed when he attempted to take action when he interrupted a robbery while he was off duty in September 1970.
Sheriff Willlie M. Langston was shot and killed by an escaped Georgia convict at a turpentine camp outside of Spring Hill in 1909.
Contact Christopher Cann at ccann@tallahassee.com and follow @ChrisCannFL on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: LCSO lights eternal flame for fallen deputies, unveils memorial
