ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla. — People bundled up and skipped work to pay their respects along the procession route.
With tears in their eyes, bracing the cold, many came together Tuesday morning to watch the procession unfold for the three fallen Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
The procession route passed right along Okeechobee Boulevard, where community members gathered in front of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office substation.
As onlookers waited for the procession, they could hear the roar of the motorcycles before they could see them.
“It gave me chills, just very sad,” said Kim Labarbera, who stood on the sidewalk holding her baby, as hundreds of bikes and cruisers passed by her.
The last cars to pass, were the three hearses carrying Deputy Ignacio "Dan" Diaz, Deputy Sheriff Ralph "Butch" Waller and Cpl. Luis Paez.
A tough sight, one that stirred up strong emotions for Jay Dotson.
“They’re heroes every day, 24 hours a day,” Dotson said. "I like to see the brotherhood, and it was just great to see that.”
As the procession went by, the community held American flags and one another.
Mark Pawlowski shared a brief but fond memory he has from when he met Waller.
“Getting pulled over by Butch was a whole different experience, because of how friendly he was," Pawlowski recalled. "He’s going to be missed.”
He said the procession, which spanned 10 miles throughout Palm Beach County, was exactly the kind of memorial the deputies deserved.
“This is a tragedy the way all three of them passed, very unexpected," Pawlowski said. "They’re out there trying to make the community safer and they are the ones who have to suffer the consequence of that accident.”
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