Eagle Scout dedicates ‘Honor To a Fallen Hero’ statue to OPD Headquarters

ORLANDO, FLORIDA — When Boone High School student Michael Collins was 16-years-old, he came up with an idea for his Eagle Scout project.

"I was upset about the environment that law enforcement officers were facing. So I wanted to do something to show them my appreciation and my appreciation for the City of Orlando."

Collins contacted Orlando Police Chief John Mina with an ambitious project: a bronze statue to memorialize their fallen officers.

"I was just amazed that this young man wanted to do this for our law enforcement and our community," said Chief Mina at Thursday's dedication ceremony. "Little did we know that a year and a half later, we would lose Debra." (Lt. Debra Clayton was killed in the line of duty in 2017 trying to arrest suspected murderer Markeith Lloyd).

The statue would cost $45,000...and Collins dedicated the next couple of years raising the funds to make it happen.

"I sold snow cones at Lake Eola on the 4th of July, I was outside of Boone football games, started a GoFund Me page, a website. Anything I could do to spread the word."

Now 18-years-old and a senior at Boone, Collins helped the Orlando Police Department unveil the 'Honor To a Fallen Hero' bronze statue Thursday morning. He hopes when people see it, it gives them a deeper appreciation for our men and women in blue.

"I just hope it makes them think of what law enforcement officers do for us every day, and maybe a small bit of gratitude."

(VIDEO)