Report: 12 Florida officers die in line of duty in 2004

Associated Press
Posted December 29 2004, 9:26 AM EST

ORLANDO -- Twelve members of Florida law enforcement agencies died in the line of duty this year, including nine who died in traffic accidents, a study found.

Two other officers belonging to state, county and city law enforcement bodies in Florida were shot to death _ the same number as last year _ and one officer suffered a fatal heart attack, according to the study released Tuesday by The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and Concerns of Police Survivors.

The 12 deaths were up from seven in 2003.

A 13th officer to die in Florida this year, U.S. Secret Service agent Phillip Lebid, 30, was killed in a traffic accident in Tampa in November.

Nationally, 154 officers died in the line of duty in 2004, with 72 of them killed in traffic-related accidents.

The two Florida officers who were fatally shot in the line of duty were Broward sheriff's Deputy Todd Fatta, 33, who died in October, and Marion County sheriff's Deputy Brian Robert Litz, 36, killed in February.

Lt. George Hura Jr., 56, of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, died in May during a training exercise in the Panhandle.

The statistics for 2004 were compiled from reports through Dec. 24.