Lieutenant Steven Romell Floyd, Sr.

Lt., it's hard to believe it's been four years already. I still remember that day one of the other Detectives in the Major Crimes Unit coming over to me and telling me that word had been received that some of the inmates at JTVCC had possibly rioted. We were sitting there trying to find out more information when we had confirmed that there was in fact a "riot" and we subsequently started making our way down to the prison. But I don't think any of us had any idea as to what was actually occurring or what the next 24 hours was going to be like for any of us, let alone the next two years of media frenzy and "expert opinions" as to why this occurred.

While we will never positively and definitively know, at the time my fellow detectives and I were making our way to the prison, you were probably already deceased or at least close at the hands of these cowardly inmates, inmates who all hid behind the notion of brutality and mistreatment to carry out their well planned and coordinated attack. It's an eerie feeling to think back about the information we would later find out about the takeover and you specifically being attacked, all occurring while we were driving down with still largely unknown details as to what was transpiring. More than an eerie feeling, it's an absolute nauseating feeling, as I cannot begin to imagine what was going through your mind and thoughts at that time. What I do know, as we all know, is that your actions that day were nothing short of amazing and heroic and absolutely saved the lives of other Officer's and prison personnel.

My role in this was small in the overall scheme of things, but this incident was something that will never, ever leave me! It was gut wrenching to think of what you and the other officers went through and it was a helpless feeling all the way around knowing what you endured and what your family would have to endure. Hero is not a strong enough or properly defining word to describe you and your actions that day, but no word can properly do that. I hope your family is doing as well as to be expected and I hope they always take some sort of comfort knowing that your service and sacrifice will never, ever be forgotten by your law enforcement brethren. God Speed sir and rest in peace always, and may God always bless your family, friends and the men and women of the Delaware Department of Corrections.

Detective Cpl/3 Steven RizzoDelaware State Police (Retired)

February 2, 2021