Thousands of people attended a ceremony Tuesday morning in West Palm Beach, Florida, to honor the three Palm Beach Sheriff's Office officers killed in a crash nearly two weeks ago.
On Nov. 21, Deputy Sheriff Ignacio “Dan” Diaz, Deputy Sheriff Ralph “Butch” Waller, and Corporal Luis Paez were arrested on Southern Boulevard just west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. While riding his motorcycle on the roadside, he was hit by a Jeep SUV. Wellington.
Waller and Paes were pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after the accident, while Diaz was in critical condition and underwent surgery at a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
President-elect Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis will also be there, according to Margo Martin, Trump's deputy communications director, who posted a photo of DeSantis, Trump and Eric Trump at the memorial. was in attendance.
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On stage at the iThink Financial Amphitheater at the South Florida Fairgrounds as people gather for a memorial service for three Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies killed in a Nov. 21 crash near Wellington on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. The American flag is raised. , Florida. (Bill Ingram/Imagun)
“It allows us to train our officers to deal with bad guys, whether it's traffic stops or high-speed pursuits,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said at a news conference in front of the PBSO Memorial Wall. “There is no training for this. They never imagined it would happen. They had no chance to try to save themselves.”
He said more than 7,000 people are expected to attend Tuesday's memorial service.
A public memorial service was scheduled to be held at the iTHINK Financial Amphitheater in West Palm Beach. The procession was scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., with a prayer service at 11 a.m. and end around 2 p.m.
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A glass partition stands in front of the podium at the iThink Financial Amphitheater at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is holding a memorial service for the three deputies killed in a November 21 crash west of Wellington, Florida. (Bill Ingram/Imagun)
The rescue vehicle was carrying a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office motorcycle unit deputy who was struck and killed by the vehicle. On November 21, 2024, a procession carried members of Congress to the PBSO morgue in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Greg Lovett/Palm Beach Post/Imagn)
A rescue vehicle transports Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Motorcycle Unit officers to the morgue after they were struck and killed by a vehicle on November 21, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Greg Lovett/Palm Beach Post/Imagn)
Bradshaw said at a news conference after the crash that three members of Congress were pulled over to the side of the road on their motorcycles, and that one of them appeared to be having problems with his bike. A woman driving an SUV on Southern Boulevard encountered a driver who was driving slower than her and swerved to the shoulder to pass, but she “overcompensated” and hit all three deputies. It bounced and became “suspended,” Bradshaw added.
“People have to take this seriously when driving their cars. If it's not treated properly, it can cost you £2,000,” Mr Bradshaw said, adding that drivers should He added that he is cooperating and feels “horrible” about what happened.
Deputy Sheriff Ignacio “Dan” Diaz, Deputy Sheriff Ralph “Butch” Waller, and Luis Paez were hit by a Jeep SUV while their motorcycles were parked on the shoulder of Southern Boulevard on November 21st. Memorial service on December 3rd for Corporal. Just west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road near Wellington, Florida. (PBSO/X)
Palm Beach County deputies attend the South Florida Fair near Royal Palm Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, to remember the three deputies killed in the Nov. 21 crash west of Wellington, Florida. Gather on the ground. (Bill Ingram/Palm Beach Post)
People watch as a procession passes by along state Route 7 on Dec. 3, 2024, in memory of three Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies who were killed in a road accident last month. (Damon Higgins/Imagine)
Diaz, 51, joined PBSO in 2004 and served in the department's athletic unit for more than 10 years, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
Mr. Paes, 58, has been with PBSO for more than 36 years, starting as a correctional lieutenant in 1988, then moving to road patrol and ultimately serving as a motor vehicle lieutenant for more than 20 years.
Mr. Waller, 54, has served in the Motor Vehicle Unit for more than 18 years and began his law enforcement career with the Royal Palm Beach Police Department before merging with PBSO in October 2008.
“It never gets easier,” Bradshaw said of the nature of talking to relatives of slain police officers. “I look into their eyes and see the pain…and I'll never get used to that pain.”
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A school police officer places his hand on his heart after a motorcade carrying two Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies was struck and killed by a car Thursday morning, Nov. 21, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Major J. McCarthy. (Greg Lovett/Palm Beach Post/Imagn)
A police officer salutes as a procession passes by three Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies who were killed in a road accident last month on their way to the iThink Financial Amphitheater on the South Florida Fairgrounds campus on Dec. 3, 2024. (Damon Higgins/Imagine)
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash as a traffic homicide. told WPTV.
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It is unclear whether the woman who confronted the deputies will face criminal charges, but no charges have been filed at this time, the newspaper reported.
“When a deputy dies, a part of the community dies with them,” Bradshaw said.
