NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — Law enforcement in Nassau County honored any member of law enforcement who died in the county, dating back to the late 1800s, with a Wednesday morning ceremony and indoor barbecue.
The event occurred at the Nassau County Sheriff’s office in Yulee. It was moved indoors due to rain and wind conditions.
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The ceremony tributes featured everything from an honor guard walk, to the pledge of allegiance, to an indoor gun salute, which sent powerful echoes throughout the building.
All the stops were pulled out to honor the eight Nassau sheriffs deputies killed since 1891, along with five other law-enforcement members with other departments.
The first NCSO deputy killed in the line of duty was Joseph W Robinson in May 1891. He was fatally shot while trying to apprehend a fugitive in Fernandina Beach.
The latest was Corporal James McWhorter, killed in a vehicle crash in February 2022 in Yulee. These tragedies hit close to home for Wes Watson. The chef for today’s barbecue, an ex-firefighter himself, told us why it meant so much to first responders to his southern cuisine.
“One of our own gave his life a few years back. I’m friends with mom and dad; it means a lot,” Watson said.
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