Officer Down Memorial Page

Rest in Peace, Officer Anderson. Your sacrifice is not forgotten.

Officer 11169
February 14, 2012

Paul was FTO to William (Bill) Yates, who was riding beside him in that fatal crash. The young man they were pursuing affected many lives that day. Bill retired from FDLE and passed away last year. He never forgot Paul and spoke of him fondly. A big guy with a big heart! Rest in peace Paul. Bill and Richard Shockley have now gone to join you in that special heaven reserved for our LEO heros.

Nancy Yates
Wife of Paul's rookie sitting beside him in that fatal crash
July 22, 2011

WE WILL NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICE YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY MADE FOR ALL OF US. MAY YOU CONTINUE TO REST IN PEACE. HEROES DO LIVE FOREVER...

DEB AZURE
MOTHER OF DEPUTY RENEE DANELL AZURE
EOW 08/06/02
UNION COUNTY SO, LAKE BUTLER, FL

Anonymous
May 7, 2011

Rest in peace Officer Anderson, your bravery and sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
April 13, 2011

Another year has passed and you are still admired and respectfully remembered in the hearts and minds of so many. My thoughts and prayers are with your loved ones and friends on this anniversary of your EOW. You will never be forgotten.

James Sheppard
Father of Sgt. Jason L. Sheppard EOW 12/7/06
May 7, 2010

Officer Anderson died seven days before I was born. Now fourty one years later and twenty years of service I thank Officer Anderson for his years of service. Godspeed brother!!

Deputy Sheriff
Virginia
July 7, 2008

YOU ARE A HERO JUST BY THE PROFESSION YOU CHOSE

VANDENBERGHE
MANCHESTER, NH
May 7, 2008

May you always rest in peace...

Hector I Aponte
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent
United States Border Patrol

DOB. May 7, 1967

SBPA Hector I Aponte
US Border Patrol
March 20, 2007

I first met Paul when i was about 12 or 13 years old. ( I'm 66 now. )

Paul's mom had a dairy farm on the west side of Hialeah, FL and my parents had a Florist in Hialeah. We used to visit Paul's home, and he and his mom used to visit our home. That was our first connection.

Paul and i were the same age,..became best friends, and we played and fought with each other as kids do. Paul was always a great big heavy boy,..much bigger than i. One of Paul's "fun" things to do was to sit on my chest and not let me up off the floor. He always got a big kick out of that. Ha.
Paul and i were more like brothers than just friends,..and we were friends for life.

Well, Paul and i both grew up to be Police Officers in Miami in 1960.

We joined the Dade County Sheriff's Department,..also known at the time as the Dade County Public Safety Department, and now known as the Metro-Dade Police Department.

Paul joined about 4 months before me and we were both initially assigned to the Central District, Uniform Patrol and Traffic Division.

Paul was a big kid,..and he grew up to be a giant of a man too. Must have been about 6'4" and close to 300 pounds, yet quick, agile, and very strong. His heart was just as big as his body. He was a good and caring man. He was a great street cop,..always there to help a fellow officer or a citizen in need. If you needed a backup, Paul is the one you hoped they'd send.

I was out of town at the time of Paul's on-duty death,..and i missed my "brother's" funeral as well.

When i walked in the door from my trip my wife said, "You'd better sit down, i've got some bad news." She then told me of Paul's death. A piece of me died right there!

From what i found out later, this is what happened to contribute to Paul's tragic traffic accident:
Paul was driving as he and his partner were in pursuit of a fleeing vehicle.
The fleeing vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and running through all stop signs. Paul wasn't running the stop signs, but was hitting his brakes hard at each stop sign, over and over, until his brakes faded and finally gave out at the intersection of the busy highway U.S. 1.

Paul's partner said that the last thing Paul said was, "Hold on, the brakes are gone, i can't stop!" They hit a car broadside at U.S. 1 and Paul died instantly. His partner lived.
So sad to lose a good man like that.

I have never forgotten Paul and never will. He was as close as a brother as i will ever have.

I retired from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as a Special Agent in 1995, but still remember Paul Anderson as one of the very best friends and Police Officers i've ever known.

Rest in peace my brother.

William L. "Bill" Fisher, Special Agent
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
April 25, 2005

I salute you for your service and honor you for your sacrifice.

Rest in peace.

December 29, 2004

I remember Paul when I was a teenager, and he worked at Pizza Palace on Bird Rd.,off duty. He was always a friendly police officer to the kids who hung out there. I looked up to him and have always remembered him after all these years. God Bless him

Sgt. Jim May (retired)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police
August 5, 2004

Uncle Paul
I still miss you! You meant so much to me after my father left us. I know that my Mom is in heaven with you now. She loved her little brother - even though you were anything but LITTLE! I know you loved being a police officer.
Betsy

Betsy
Family

Rest in peace brother.

Inv. Michael Walker
Tallahassee Police Department