April 20, 2018 – Two Gilchrist County sheriff’s deputies were shot and killed while eating in a Chinese restaurant in Trenton Thursday afternoon. Both of them, Sgt. Noel Ramirez, 30, and Deputy Taylor Lindsey, 25, are alumni of Santa Fe College.
Sgt Ramirez went through the Institute of Public Safety (IPS) in 2010, while Lindsey went through IPS training in 2012.
SF President Dr. Jackson N. Sasser addressed the SF community saying “We mourn the loss of these revered members of our family and offer prayers and support to their loved ones.”
Sgt. Ramirez and Deputy Lindsey had just sat down to eat at Ace China restaurant on State Road 26 in Trenton around 3 p.m. when the gunman fired through the restaurant window at the two deputies. Both deputies died at the scene, while the perpetrator, whom Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz referred to as a “coward” was found dead in a vehicle outside the restaurant.
Both Ramirez and Lindsey were recently back at IPS recruiting for the GCSO.
Sheriff Schultz lauded the work of Ramires and Lindsey, calling the deputies “quintessential deputy sheriffs.” Schultz gave very few details concerning the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
President Sasser encouraged anyone feeling emotional or troubled by yesterday’s events, especially those from Gilchrist County, to contact the SF Counseling Center, “where our highly committed and trained counselors can provide assistance.”
Rest in Peace, Sgt. Ramirez and Deputy Lindsey.