PORT CHARLOTTE — Clayton Wellins, 11, looked at all of the messages on a memorial for Charlotte County Sheriff Sgt. Elio Diaz — the deputy who was so nice to him and his friends before he was killed.
On Friday, Clayton stood with his mother as the procession of dozens of law enforcement vehicles escorted Diaz to his final resting place.
Clayton met Diaz while tending a lemonade stand. Clayton and a friend were raising money to buy concert tickets to see Morgan Wallen.
“He (Diaz) asked if we had espresso and I laughed and said no, we only had Starbucks coffee and lemonade,” Clayton said.
He said he’d bring back more deputies.
“And he did. He brought them back. They told us not to worry any ‘Karens’ who didn’t want us selling lemonade. He was so nice to us.”
Clayton joined more than 175 supporters who watched the procession as it passed by the makeshift memorial near the Chevron gas station in Charlotte Harbor where Diaz was gunned down Sunday.
Gerry Cristick said he met Diaz several times.