JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As of Monday, it has been one year since Nassau County Joshua Moyers lost his life in the line of duty at the age of 29.
Moyers was shot on September 24, 2021, but it was on September 26 that he succumbed to his injuries. The Nassau County Sheriff's Office announced at the time that Moyers' organs would be donated, and he saved the lives of five people.
Moyers is remembered as a "quintessential Nassau County, Hilliard, Florida young man," loved ones say.
“Funny, loving, happy. The guy was always smiling. Just an all-around great guy, somebody you want to meet, somebody you’d want to be around," Nassau County Sheriff's Lt. Brian Blackwell, who worked with Moyers, said of his friend.
“Just a man who grew up in this community, and told me every day that he wanted to make his hometown safer. His level of service to this community was out of this world," said Nassau County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Trevor Zittrower, who was Moyers' shift supervisor.
Moyers was recognized at the Daniel Watts Memorial Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer Awards in Downtown Jacksonville in April. "Your son and your fiancé died a hero and a protector," State Attorney Melissa Nelson told Moyers' family at the ceremony.
In February, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office paid tribute to Moyers by naming a K-9 puppy after him. Moyers was known for his red hair, and with Moyers' family's blessing, they named the puppy "Ol' Red."
“Funny, loving, happy. The guy was always smiling. Just an all-around great guy, somebody you want to meet, somebody you’d want to be around," Lt. Brian Blackwell, one of Moyers' shift supervisors, remembered.
His other shift supervisor, Sgt. Trevor Zittrower, told First Coast News that Moyers had pride in his job with the motivation of making Nassau County safer each day.
What happened to Moyers?
Moyers was shot on September 24, 2021 during a traffic stop, but it was on September 26 that he succumbed to his injuries. The search for his accused killer, Patrick McDowell, went on for five days before he surrendered to police. Hundreds of law enforcement officers from multiple agencies across Florida and Georgia assisted in bringing McDowell in.
McDowell, and his accused accomplice, Breiana Tole, are still in jail. Tole pleaded guilty to accessory in Moyers' murder and McDowell pleaded not guilty on murder charges.
The state seeks the death penalty for McDowell.