LAND O' LAKES, FLA.- A Pasco County business is encouraging customers to light up their swimming pools to honor fallen law enforcement.
Tropical Escapes Pool Builders is donating a portion of its proceeds starting this week until June to the three families who lost their loved one in the line of duty.
Hillsborough County Deputy Brian LaVigne was killed in the line of duty in January. He was one shift away from retirement.
A month later, Pinellas County Deputy Michael Magli died trying to stop a reckless driver. He was the first deputy killed in the line of duty in the history of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
This week, Tampa Police Officer Jesse Madsen lost his life while stopping an intoxicated wrong-way driver on I-275.
Cody Brown, the owner of Tropical Escapes Pool Builders, said his employee, Brett Morris, approached him wanting to help the families of fallen law enforcement.
Morris has worked for Tropical Escapes since 2020, but he spent the past decade with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. He wanted to show support for law enforcement and bring awareness to the dangers of the job.
"For me, I have two small kids as well. I just can't imagine my wife and my kids any my parents getting that call and that knock on the door," said Morris.
"Unfortunately, it takes terrible situations to bring the light to the dangers of the job," he added.
Brown said his company is also collecting donations for the family.
"We can't thank the officers, the men and women who put their lives on the line for us, daily and this is the least we can do for them is try and reach out to the community and come together to give back," said Brown.
"I hope the community realizes that these men and women are leaving their 2-year-old kids and families to go out and potentially not come home at the end of the day," added Morris.
