Charlotte County mourns the tragic loss of Sergeant Elio Diaz

Sergeant Elio Diaz is the second deputy the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has lost in the last two years.

At just 23 years old, Deputy Christopher Taylor was killed by a drunk driver on the side of I-75 in 2022.

WINK News reporter Maddie Herron went to the sheriff’s office to find out how losses like these impact the department.

It’s unimaginable; this was a man who dedicated himself to serving others. He was a hero to the community and his fellow deputies.

We spoke to a former police chief who said deputies know they take a risk every day they put on their uniform, but this killing was just senseless.

Shock, pain and mourning continue to spread across Southwest Florida as many join the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office in grieving one of their own, killed on the job.

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Kristen Ziman, a retired police chief and WINK News’ safety & security expert, said, “Sergeant Diaz, he gave his life in service to others…But it doesn’t make it any easier this senseless and tragic way that he has left us.”

A picture only gives a glimpse into the beloved father of four who, according to those who knew him, had a personality ‘bigger than any situation.’

His final moments were spent outside a Charlotte Harbor gas station.

“We stopped to get a drink for us and the baby, and we actually saw the officer at the very last gas pump. Had someone pulled over in a truck… Regular traffic stop,” Witnesses like Angel Martin saw a seemingly ‘regular traffic stop,’ but Ziman said there is no such thing.

“There is no such thing as a routine traffic stop. Traffic stops are one of the most dangerous duties for officers. They are technically routine in nature, but they can escalate unpredictably in a manner of seconds,” Ziman explained.

As a former police chief, Ziman has lost people in the field before, and she told us one of the toughest missions is pushing forward.

• RELATED: Memorial created for deputy killed in line of duty

“There’s a going to be a very long mourning period in the community, but these officers have to suit up again right now. You know, the 911 calls don’t stop, and protecting the community doesn’t stop when something like this happens,” she said.

Ziman expects Diaz’s fellow deputies to push forward but never forget the teammate who gave his life to the service of others.

Ziman said, “If I know what they’re thinking, and I think I do, is ‘what would Officer Diaz want from us?’ certainly not to sit back and do nothing, but to suit up and go out there again and be vigilant in protecting the community.”

Ziman said the next steps could indicate tracing the steps to find out why exactly this shooting happened and what can be done to prevent such tragedies in the future.