FORSYTH, Ga. — On Wednesday in Forsyth, people gathered at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty over the last year.
Family members, friends, and others talked about the ultimate sacrifice that these fallen soldiers have made.
Nine law enforcement and public safety officers were honored, including two from Central Georgia, Crisp County Deputy Tyee Browne and Wilcox County Sheriff Robert Rodgers.
The ceremony started with the honor guards's three-gun salute and the pledge of allegiance.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp was the keynote speaker of the day and handed each family member a specialized plaque.
One of the sheriffs honored was Robert Daniel Rodgers of Wilcox County.
While responding to a domestic call last August of 2023, he lost control of his car, hit a tree and died on impact.
Billy Joe Milly, the chaplain at the Wilcox County Jail, said they worked closely together.
"He helped many people all the time," Milly said. "That was his way of living. That was his heart. That was his main objective. It was a tragic accident. It was heartfelt all throughout the county and the community and beyond the community in other counties. Even the state has mourned his death and still is because he will always be remembered."
Rodgers's wife, Haley McCall Rodgers, was there to talk about his dedication to serving the community.
"I'm so grateful to be here today to honor my husband, Robert Daniel Rodgers who was the sheriff of Wilcox County," Rodgers said. "He was a very good sheriff, he loved what he did, he loved helping others, he loved being there for those in need. He really was a huge advocate of rehabilitation of people, he believed in second chances. He changed a lot of lives, and I knew that before he passed but I've seen it even more now."
Another officer who was honored at the ceremony was Crisp County Sheriff Tyee Michael Browne.
Browne was 26 years old when he was shot and killed in Cordele after checking on a truck stopped on a highway.
His grandfather, Joseph Mikesell, says he wishes the world was full of people like Tyee.
"I was more like a dad to Tyee than I was a grandpa," Mikesell said. "I loved him to death, the whole family did and he would do anything, if somebody would call him and say I need help, he was there. He was just a loving-type person and had a heart of gold."
The names of the fallen are added to Georgia's Public Safety Memorial Wall.
The Georgia Public Safety Training Center also hosts a Fallen Firefighters ceremony each October.