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Sheriff's Office Remembers Fallen On National Prayer Day

FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Bagpipes played this morning at a memorial service honoring fallen deputies and firefighters at BSO Headquarters.

In observance of the National Day of Prayer, the tribute held Thursday honored six former Broward law enforcement officers and six fire rescue personnel who lost their lives dating as far back as 1914.

"We want to make sure we never forget those that perished and gave the ultimate sacrifice so we could have our freedom," said Broward Sheriff Scott Isreal.

Israel and others spoke at the memorial service held at the sheriff's office Public Safety Building on Broward Boulevard.

Among the deputies remembered was Ryan Seguin who died while on duty on February 15, 2006. Seguin, 23, was struck and killed on westbound I-595 while conducting a traffic stop. As a lasting tribute, Deputy Seguin's co-workers erected a roadside memorial in his honor.

"He was a young deputy. You looked at him and said he is going to be a leader with this organization he had so much potential," said Major Greg Page of BSO.

When Dania was still part of Dade-County, Dania's Town Marshal John Clifton, 50, was shot and killed while handling a domestic violence dispute on March 7, 1914. His great granddaughter and great great-granddaughter were in attendance.

"It's great to know he is remembered"  said Jean Kincaid, Clifton's great granddaughter.

Another Dania police officer, James T. Thomas, died April 19, 1977 after he was shot by two would be robbers outside the Little General convenience store on Griffin Road near State Road 7. The murder went unsolved for five years until 1982 when members of the Outlaw motorcycle gang were implicated through fingerprints and eye-witness identification.

Deputy John "Jack" Greeney III died on February 17, 1990 when he tried to stop an armed robbery at Church's Fried Chicken on West Broward Boulevard. Deputy Greeney was shot and killed during a gun fight with two suspects. The shooters were caught, tried and convicted.

Deputy Worth "Joe" Edwards was off duty on March 15th, 1980, when he went to check on a tip that four men in a car were trying to sell guns outside a Broward Boulevard tire store. When Edwards approached the car and 19-year-old Ricky Washington shot and killed him. Washington was convicted and is now serving a sentence of life in prison.

Deputy Philip Guy Billings was shot to death while working an extra-duty security detail at Coral Cadillac in Pompano Beach. During his shift, he encountered two men trying to steal custom wheels. As he approached with his weapon drawn, Billings was shot twice and died at age 25. Four days after the cold-blooded killing, as BSO and Palm Beach County deputies closed in on the suspects, they died in a murder-suicide.

Another Dania police officer, James T. Thomas, died April 19, 1977 after he was shot by two would be robbers outside the Little General convenience store on Griffin Road near State Road 7. The murder went unsolved for five years until 1982 when members of the Outlaw motorcycle gang were implicated through fingerprints and eye-witness identification.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Lieutenant Mark Freeman, 45, lost his battle with cancer in March 2006 at age 45.

Cooper City Fire Lieutenant Rick Scorgie was active in the South Florida Urban Search and Rescue Task Force and was a well-known instructor of weapons of mass destruction, urban search & rescue and homeland security classes at the local, state and national levels. Lt. Scorgie was named firefighter of the month shortly before he passed away in May 2005.

Broward County Fire Rescue Lieutenant Major Hallmon Jr. was with the department for 20 years until he was sidelined by illness. He left behind two children and his wife of 38 years when he passed away in 2002.

Paramedic Sherman Newberry was among the first five paramedics to be sworn in as a member of Broward County Emergency Medical Services, beginning his service on February 8, 1972 at the age of 21. In 2003, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and he succumbed to the disease at the age of 54 on January 3, 2005.

Broward Fire Rescue Paramedic Gary Liszewski, 35, died in 1987 when he suffered a heart attack while on duty at the fire station.

Broward County Fire Rescue Driver Engineer Timothy J. Schaefer joined the department in 1984. Schaefer became a certified paramedic and taught at the fire academy. He died of cancer in 2001 at age 38.

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