By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
A miles long motorcade of law enforcement vehicles entered Bronson Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by a hearse bearing the remains of fallen Gilchrist County sheriff’s deputy Noel Ramirez.
Hundreds of bystanders carrying American flags or standing with one hand over their heart watched as the procession of patrol cars from throughout Florida passed under a 40-foot long American flag hung over State Road 24. The procession was headed for Rosemary Cemetery.
Ramirez, 29, and fellow Gilchrist deputy Taylor Lindsey were shot dead Thursday as they ate lunch around 3 p.m. at Ace China Restaurant in Trenton. The killer, John Hubert Highnote, 58, Bell, killed himself outside the restaurant.
Levy County Schools were released early Tuesday in honor of the two slain deputies but also to avoid school buses having to navigate the long line of law enforcement patrol cars coming out of Bell, site of the non-denominational funeral service of both officers at Bell Middle High School.
A graveside service took place at Rosemary Cemetery as hundreds of law enforcement officers flanked the burial site to honor Ramirez and ensure his family was protected.
Watching the procession along State Road 24 was Bronson resident and Chiefland Elementary School Principal Michael Homan. She recalled that she was having a conversation with the school resource officer (SRO) at Chiefland Elementary when news of the Trenton tragedy arrived. The deputy left the school to assist in Trenton.
“He got the call. Your heart sinks,” she said. “For me, I work in the school system. We work with these guys every day. They take care of us. Just eating lunch; it breaks my heart.”
The following day Homan and her staff learned of the shooting at an Ocala public school. Some staff members were uneasy.
“It put a shock wave through folks when we heard what happened in Ocala,” Homan said. “Some people were on edge. That was the day after the Trenton murders.”
Homan was impressed by the hundreds of law enforcement vehicles from city police departments and sheriff’s offices around the state streaming into Bronson with emergency lights flashing in a show of support for Ramirez, a resident of the Bronson area.
She said many parents called to support the early release of students. Some wanted to be part of the salute to the fallen officer while others simply planned to transport their children home to avoid the traffic.
Photos by Terry Witt
