Today marks anniversary of Alexander’s death

Today marks the anniversary of the line-of-duty death of Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Alexander.

Deputy Alexander died in a traffic accident May 3rd, 1998 while working road patrol for the Sheriff's Office in the Key Largo district.
He had just left roll call at the Plantation Key Substation and was on the way to his duty station at the Ocean Reef Resort. For some reason, he pulled off of the highway and onto Val Jean Way, in Tavernier. He was stopped at a stop sign at Val Jean Way and Highway U.S. One when he pulled out into the path on an oncoming semi-tractor trailer truck, and was broad sided on the driver’s side of his vehicle by the truck.

Deputy Alexander had worked for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office for just less than a year. He’d previously worked for the Miami-Dade Police Department for 16 years, leaving that department as a lieutenant. He worked the midnight shift as a deputy at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. He was also on the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.

Firefighters work frantically to free Deputy Alexander
from the wreckage the night of the crash.

Members of the Sheriff’s Office and others who knew
Deputy Alexander set up a roadside memorial for him.

The roadside memorial for Deputy Michael Alexander.

Note: Photo credit for all but the employee photo goes to photographer Bill Rigby