Two Deputies Killed In The Line Of Duty

This was the scene Saturday afternoon at the Shoal River Gun Club in Crestview. It's where 45-year-old deputies Burt Lopez and Skip Ward received the fatal wounds that took their lives. 1

“Burt just the nicest fella in the world skip fun loving guy both really professional deputies,” says Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Captain JD Peacock. A sheriff's department spokesman says the two deputies were trying to arrest 28-year-old Joshua Cartwright. He was wanted on a domestic dispute that happened earlier in the day. Authorities say the officers hit the suspect with a taser. That's when he opened fire, shooting both deputies.

“Outstanding gentlemen, doing a wonderful job, we visited the families before we came out here tonight and they're doing as well as you might expect,” says Okaloosa County Sheriff Ed Spooner. Authorities say the suspect sped down Highway 90 and was forced off the road in Defuniak Springs. A firefight between Cartwright and Walton County deputies ensued. Authorities say 50 to 60 rounds were fired resulting in Cartwright's death, no one else was hurt. Department officials say they've been rattled by Saturday's events.

“They'll continue to do what they have to do and work hard, but right now, yes, we're suffering and grieving,” says department spokesperson Michele Nicholson. Authorities say both deputies were wearing bullet proof vests. Authorities say Cartwright had a prior arrest for battery. An official with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement says the use of force on the suspect was justified. Lopez and York were both retired military men. Lopez had been with the force since 2003, York started a little more than a year ago.