Hundreds gathered tonight at Northwest Florida State College’s Department of Public Safety tonight to remember slain Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Myers and to show support for law enforcement and other first responders.
The Public Safety Department organized the special candlelight vigil after learning of the shooting death of Deputy Myers on September 22nd in Shalimar. The beloved 25-year OCSO veteran had retired in 2013, but came back to work part-time. He was serving a domestic violence injunction in Shalimar to a man who had to then surrender his firearms, but instead pulled out a gun and shot Deputy Myers multiple times from behind.
Sheriff Larry Ashley spoke of the unselfishness of those who risk their own lives to serve as that line of protection between good and evil, darkness and light.
An overflow crowd of participants in the vigil shared a flame from candle to candle and person to person, then watched as a beam of blue light was aimed into the sky.
The Memorial Service for Deputy Myers is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at the College’s Raider Arena.
A large crowd is expected and those who plan to attend are asked to anticipate traffic delays and give themselves adequate time to get to the venue. The doors will open to the public at ten a.m.
The service will be livestreamed on EmeraldCoastTV.com and at WEARTV.com.
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