Memorial created for deputy killed in line of duty

By all accounts, Sergeant Diaz was beloved in his community and never hesitated to help those in need. Those who knew him say he was funny, selfless and a hero which is why a memorial in his honor was started Monday.

The memorial is located at the Chevron where Diaz passed away. People who knew the Sergeant and people who didn’t know the Sergeant paid their respects.

The loss of Diaz is leaving his family robbed of a husband, father of four, and grandfather, right before the holidays.

Hundreds have taken to social media to express condolences and share memories of Diaz while others visited the memorial, Bill and Linda being one of them. They were both emotional as they left flowers at the memorial site.

“I just love the police officers, and they sacrifice so much. And when something like this happens, it just breaks all of our hearts, and we just support the blue and back the blue and love the blue, and we pray for the officer’s family and his wife and his children, and we just lift them up before god. We thank for the outpouring of the flowers and the outpouring the people that love police officers,” Bill said.

Both Bill and Linda didn’t even know Diaz, which is a testament to how this loss of life has affected our community.

The couple has a message for the grieving family, “We supported your husband, admired your husband, respected your husband, and will always be eternally grateful for your husband and the sacrifice that he made for all of us.”

Diaz, well respected in his profession, began his career with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office in 2013. He served in a number of positions, including road patrol, investigations, and even the crisis negotiations team.

The Sheriff’s Office says he was famous for his homemade Cuban coffee. Deputies would wait in line, just to get a cup.