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Published on Wednesday, December 29, 2004
in the News 4 Jax
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Twelve members of Florida law enforcement agencies died in the line of duty this year, including nine who died in traffic accidents, a study found.
Two other officers belonging to state, county and city law enforcement bodies in Florida were shot to death -- the same number as last year -- and one officer suffered a fatal heart attack, according to the study released Tuesday by The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and Concerns of Police Survivors.
The 12 deaths were up from seven in 2003. Nationally, 154 officers died in the line of duty in 2004, with 72 of them killed in traffic-related accidents.
The two Florida officers who were fatally shot in the line of duty were Broward sheriff's Deputy Todd Fatta, 33, who died in October, and Marion County sheriff's Deputy Brian Robert Litz, 36, killed in February.
Two northeast Florida troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol died while pursuing suspects.
Sgt. George "Andy" Brown III died April 27 after losing control of his cruiser while trying to stop another vehicle about six miles south of Lake City.
That vehicle was stopped later that day in south Citrus County after a two-county chase and the Naples couple inside was arrested.
Trooper Darryl L. Haywood, 49, of Palm Coast, died Oct. 2 after hitting a tree along Interstate 4 in Volusia County. Haywood was trying to stop a high-speed race between a Suzuki motorcycle and a Porsche when investigators believe the tread separated on a tire and Haywood lost control of the vehicle.
That motorcyclist was later stopped on I-95 in St. Johns County Jail and charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding charge police.
Lt. George Hura Jr., 56, of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, died in May during a training exercise in the Panhandle.
A 13th officer to die in Florida this year, U.S. Secret Service agent Phillip Lebid, 30, was killed in a traffic accident in Tampa in November.
The statistics for 2004 were compiled from reports through Dec. 24.