President Donald Trump awarded the first-ever Medals of Sacrifice posthumously to fallen law enforcement officers on Monday.
Three deputies of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office who died in the line of duty were honored on Monday in Washington, D.C. with the first-ever Medals of Sacrifice, awarded by President Donald Trump.
The fallen officers were Corporal Luis Paez Jr., Deputy Sheriff Ralph ‘Butch’ Waller Jr. and Deputy Sheriff Ignacio ‘Dan’ Diaz. The motormen died in November 2024, when an SUV struck them on the side of a road just a week before Thanksgiving.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREFamily and loved ones of the deceased officers received the honor in the Oval Office, flanked by President Trump, Florida Congressmen Brian Mast and Byron Donalds, and Eric and Lara Trump, NBC affiliate WPTV reported.
Trump, who attended the memorial service for the officers last year, said their deaths “shook the entire Palm Beach community like very, very few events I’ve ever seen.”
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP
"They were really close friends and colleagues and together they dedicated their lives to protecting the people of Palm Beach County and well beyond. And they were beloved by everyone and responded by all, really really top of the line people,” the President said.
