GAINESVILLE - Law enforcement officers risk their lives everyday while in the line of duty. In honor of those who lost their lives last year, deputies from the Alachua County Sheriff's Office developed their own special workout, and it's helping one of their own colleagues recover... a colleague who was very close to death himself. 

 

20 sheriff's deputies endured a grueling CrossFit workout on Friday afternoon, not necessarily to get in better shape, but to honor the memory of their fallen comrades. 126 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty last year alone. In their honor, these deputies created their own special workout routine. They do 126 'burpee box jumps' as they're called, one for each officer killed.

 

While completing the workout was rewarding for all, it was especially so for one deputy. Deputy Matthew Bugg was seriously injured while on patrol more than a year ago, when his cruiser was hit dead-on by a suspected drunk driver. Dep. Bugg's injuries were so serious, he could've been the 127th officer killed last year.

 

"Knowing that I could have been one of those officers, just drove it home even deeper for me," said Bugg. "Because I know that had I been a burpee box jump, that my brothers and sisters would've been in this room, doing one for me."

 

Deputy Bugg says he is still training to get back out on the road again. He hopes to be cleared in a matter of months. 

 

Officials from the Alachua County Sheriff's Office say they plan on submitting the video of Friday's workout to the CrossFit program, in hopes it will become an official CrossFit exercise routine.