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Florida law enforcement officers support each other at tough time

By Tami Osborne, WINK News

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. - Officer Andrew Widman is one of two Florida officers killed in the line of duty this week.

Yesterday morning, an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy was also shot and killed during a stand-off.Those we talked to today say even though they didn't know either of the officers killed in the last five days, its still a very emotional time.

"Everyone feels the pain because we're all in this together. We're brothers and sisters," Lakeland Police Officer Laura Plumley says.

This week, police officers from places like Winter Springs and Cocoa Beach and deputies from places like Manatee and St Lucie counties are coming together to support one another.

These officers are in Bonita Springs for a conference this week, but they're also taking time to reflect on the deaths of two of their brother's lost in the line of duty.

"Its a horrible tragedy. We just have to bond together as law enforcement family to get over the loss," Charlotte County Sheriff Deputy First Class Kathy Blevins says.

These officers who come from all over the state say tragedies like this hit too close to home.

"We may not know each other but it comes very close because we all do the same job and each and everyone one of us have been in situations where that very thing could have happened before," Escambia County Sheriff Master Deputy Steve Percell adds.

"We go to work everyday and we give ourselves to the public and we want to come home in the evenings... We want to come home to our families and our children," Officer Plumley says.

When an officer, like Officer Andrew Widman here in Fort Myers or Deputy Anthony Forgione in Okaloosa County doesn't make it home, their brothers and sisters in law enforcement have one goal.

"Make sure they're families are taken car of. That's our top priority," Deputy Blevins adds.
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