The Citrus County community is mourning the loss of Deputy Andy Lahera, who passed away Thursday after more than two years of battling the effects of a line-of-duty injury.
"Andy fought courageously, and this is a tremendous loss for his family, our agency, and this community," said Citrus County Sheriff David Vincent in a press release. "His heart for this community was unmatched.”
Watch full report from Tampa Bay 28 reporter Chad Mills
Lahera’s career spanned 14 years, from his earliest days on patrol to his most recent role as a school resource deputy from 2018 to 2023. The Sheriff’s Office said he was a dependable presence for countless students, families, and colleagues.
His life changed on May 23, 2023, when he was hit by a car while directing traffic on a rainy night near Lecanto. According to an audio recording from that night, a fellow deputy raised safety concerns about the dark, unlit intersection. Minutes later, Lahera was hit and critically injured.
The crash left Lahera with a traumatic brain injury. The teenage driver stayed on the scene and was not charged nor found to be at-fault.
The injury stunned the community, especially students who knew him as their school resource deputy.
Friend and fellow deputy Greg Entrekin said Lahera always put others first.
“Andy has always had the best interests for those around him. He was a selfless servant,” Entrekin said. “He was just nothing but light. He would bring, you know, people who would be down — he would bring light into their life.”
Lahera never fully recovered. Every day was a fight, and not just for him, but for his family too.
At one point, his two sons and wife, Michelle, feared he would lose some of his healthcare benefits when the former sheriff moved to separate him from the department.
The decision sparked public outcry, the sheriff lost reelection, and lawmakers later passed the “Andy Lahera Act,” a law guaranteeing benefits for Florida officers catastrophically injured while on duty.
All the while, Lahera continued rehab and was making good progress until just a few weeks ago, when he was sent back to the hospital with what his wife called severe pneumonia.
Thursday, Lahera’s fight came to an end. Hours after the sheriff’s office made the announcement, his body was returned to Citrus County. Dozens lined Main Street in Inverness for the procession, including Entrekin.
“Knowing now that he is at rest, and he is not having to fight any longer, that he has found respite in the Lord, it is comforting,” he said.
Others, like Pat Flaherty, joined the crowd to pay respects, even though they didn’t know Lahera personally.
“I didn’t know him, but I prayed for him every day, and I sure was hoping he would make it,” Flaherty said.
Lahera is survived by his wife, Michelle, and their two sons, Vincent and Nicholas. The sheriff’s office said it will release memorial service details in the coming days.
"I was 100% sure it was them."
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