A Charlotte County Sheriff’s deputy killed in the line of duty Sunday has been posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant.
The deputy, Elio Diaz, was killed by a man he had pulled over for a traffic stop Sunday afternoon.
“Please keep Elio and his family in your thoughts and prayers, especially during this time of year. Elio was a friend, good family man. He loved his children, and he was a really great cop," Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said at a media briefing after the shooting. "He will be missed."
During the stop a suspect, 24-year-old Andrew Mostyn Jr., pulled out a rifle and shot and mortally wounded Diaz.
Prummell says Mostyn was later found nearby at a Popeye's restaurant where he was shot and killed after pulling a weapon on deputies.
Additional information released by the Sheriff’s office said Diaz started as a deputy in September 2013, served on road patrol, investigations, STAR (Strategic Target Area Response), and was a member of the Crisis Negotiations Team. He became a corporal in January of 2020.
Diaz, 40, was a father of four and a husband.
SERVICES PLANNED
A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Friday (December 20), at Babcock Ranch Field House in Punta Gorda for Diaz.
The service will be open to the public and live-streamed for those who are unable to attend. A virtual link will be available on CCSO social media.
Law Enforcement Honors will follow the service, with procession to Charlotte Memorial Gardens. Burial will be via private ceremony at the cemetery.
Cards may be sent to Sheriff Bill Prummell or the Diaz family at 7474 Utilities Road, Punta Gorda, Fl., 33982.
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