“They were the best of the best,” Gilchrist County (Fla.) Sheriff Bobby Shultz III said. “They were men of integrity. They are men of loyalty. God fearing and they loved what they did.”
Sgt. Noel Ramirez and Deputy Taylor Lindsey were all of those things, and now the 29-year-old and 25-year-old are dead, murdered in cold blood on Thursday.
According to Fox 51 - Gainesville:
Sgt. Noel Ramirez, 29, and Deputy Taylor Lindsey, 25, were just sitting down for lunch at the Ace China restaurant in Trenton, Florida, when a lone gunman approached the window and fired two shots – killing them instantly.
Bullet holes could be seen in the window where the man without a motive opened fire. They were ambushed with no chance to return fire, investigators say, murdered in cold blood. The gunman was found dead in the parking lot.
While there’s currently no motive to speak of, Shultz did have something to blame for this heinous tragedy.
“What do you expect happens when you demonize law enforcement to the extent that it has been demonized?” Shultz asked. “Every type of hate. Every type of put down you can think of -- the only thing these men were guilty of was wanting to protect you and me.”
The deceased shooter has been identified, but there’s currently no word on whether he killed himself or met his demise by the hand of law enforcement.
This type of malice towards police is tragic and shocking in the moment, but it’s not surprising considering the amount of anti-cop rhetoric put forth in the last 10 years.
President Trump sent his “thoughts, prayers and condolences” to the “families, friends and colleagues” of Ramirez and Lindsey:
Rest in peace, Sgt. Ramirez and Deputy Lindsey. Thank you for fighting the good fight.
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