Attorney General Ashley Moody gives Back the Blue award to Marion Sheriff's Office couple

Two local law enforcement officers who interrupted their wedding day to assist an injured pedestrian are recipients of the Florida Attorney General Office's Back the Blue award.

Taylor and Christopher Rafferty were presented with engraved certificates on Thursday by Attorney General Ashley Moody during a ceremony at the Marion County Sheriff's Office's Emergency Operation Center. 

Taylor Rafferty told reporters that she and her husband just followed their instincts and training when they came to the man's aid. Her husband told reporters that getting involved was "a natural response."

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According to the Attorney General Office's website: "Back the Blue campaign highlights law enforcement officers, citizens and organizations taking extraordinary steps to forge positive relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve." 

Since 2019, when the award started, there have been 28 times where someone was handed the certificate. In some instances, more than one individual was recognized for their service.

Speakers at Thursday's event

At Thursday's event, Moody was joined by Sheriff Billy Woods, multiple sheriff's deputies and U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Gainesville, whose district includes part of Marion County.

Moody said it takes a special person to do what first responders do. They never really take a day off. Moody is married to a law enforcement official and sees first hand their call to duty.

Woods said law officers do so much more than just catching bad guys and locking them up. He said the Raffertys' actions is typical of what law enforcement officials do every day.

Cammack, also married to a first responder, said there's no such thing as a normal routine, as she saw first hand recently when riding along with a sheriff's deputy.

As for the Raffertys, Cammack said it will be a day that they will always remember – for more than one reason.

What happened on their wedding day

In December 2020, Detention Deputy Taylor Miller and her soon to be husband, Deputy Christopher Rafferty, a road deputy, were with their wedding party on the Ocala downtown square. Their ceremony was getting ready to start when a crash occurred not far from them on Silver Springs Boulevard.

The couple stopped what they were doing and went to help. In her wedding gown and holding her bouquet, Taylor directed traffic. Her soon-to-be husband also assisted with traffic. Other people rushed to the victim's aid. He had been hit by a vehicle while trying to cross the road.

Sheriff's Office officials said Christopher first started working in the Marion County Jail in late September 2014. His wife was an assistant detention deputy when she started at the jail in August 2017. She's now a detention deputy. 

During an earlier interview with the Star-Banner, the Raffertys said they met in 2017 and were engaged two years later.

Thursday's award wasn't the first for the couple. Christopher was the agency's 2020 Deputy of the Year. His wife was cited for her actions during a hostage situation at a local hospital in 2019.

Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118, austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb