JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Law enforcement and first responders throughout the First Coast were honored Thursday during the 'Daniel Watts Memorial Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer Awards' in Downtown Jacksonville.
"You are there when people and issues are at their worst," said State Attorney Melissa Nelson.
Nassau County Deputy Josh Moyers, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Callahan last September, was recognized for his sacrifice.
"Your son and your fiancé died a hero and a protector," Nelson said to members of his family that were in attendance.
His family was presented with an American flag that flew over the State Attorney's Office in his honor.
During the manhunt for the man now charged with Moyers murder, Jacksonville Sheriff K-9 Chaos was also shot. He and his handler received the K-9 Valor Award.
"Definitely thought we lost him there in the woods, for a couple of hours, it was touch-and-go, but the vets were able to pull through and save his life," said JSO Officer Dale Cullen.
JSO Officer Marshall Bowles received the Medal of Valor award for saving a woman's life after she was held at gunpoint. The suspect pulled the trigger, but it jammed.
"When the victim saw Officer Bowles, she ran towards him, followed closely by the suspect, who still had the firearm raised. As the victim was running, she fell and the suspect fell on top of her. Officer Bowles engaged the suspect, disarmed him and secured the suspect in handcuffs," recalled JSO Assistant Chief Ellis Burns.
Investigators who worked to solve the 1994 death of Fred Laster were also honored; the then 16-year-old, who for years, had not been identified.
Ronnie Hyde was found guilty of Laster's murder earlier this month. Melissa Nelson gave a State Attorney Award to two detectives who helped bring the cold case to a close.
"They spent months painstakingly going through the decades worth of evidence collected from Hyde's home, organizing the case for indictment and prosecution, navigating the web of analysis and testing that needed to be conducted," Nelson said.
The ceremony was renamed for Daniel Watts, the Jacksonville Beach Sergeant who died from COVID complications last year.