Fallen Officers Remembered Through Dade Installation
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty, protecting Miami-Dade County residents are being commemorated through an installation in Downtown Miami.
Family and friends of fallen officers along with law enforcement officials were present Wednesday morning for the opening ceremony presenting the work.
In total, 138 black "I died for you" t-shirts, worn by mannequins, representing each officer who died serving the community are on display at the Stephen P. Clark Center. Each shirt lists the name of an officer and the date of his or her death.
The installation is part of The Dade County Police Benevolent Association's (PBA) "Fallen Officer Tribute." The association also declared September as "PBA Fallen Officer Tribute Month."
"We have lost too many - too many brave men and women have died serving and protecting our community. This tribute is about duty, sacrifice and honor, values and convictions that every officer embodies," said PBA President John Rivera.
One of the officers remembered is Jose Somohano. The 37-year-old husband and father was gunned down by a man with an AK47 following a traffic stop in 2007. Somohano's wife and relatives of other fallen officers were also honored at the ceremony.
"It was a day that kind of changed everything for our family," said Elizabeth Somohano about the day that her husband was killed. "I know we live in very troubling times where there is a lot of animosity towards police officers and a lot of rift in the community but there are good men and women serving the community that do go into this line of work to protect us."
The association says the work serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers who gave their lives so that the community could live in peace.
With attacks on law enforcement across the country in recent weeks, the tribute was about vowing to never forget the fallen while promising to protect those who continue to serve.
"There is no doubt that certain people have declared war on our police and we have to fight back," said Rivera. "For the officers here, we want them to know we're watching out for them. Somebody is speaking up on their behalf.
