Edward F. McDermott

Miami Police Department — Miami, FL

Cardiac Veteran

End of Watch May 18, 1980

Age 48

Tour of Duty 24 yrs

The Vigil Panel 122 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 38

Incident

Lieutenant Edward McDermott suffered a fatal heart attack while assigned a communications command post at the onset of the 1980 Miami Riots. He was leading a caravan of National Guardsmen along South Dixie Highway when he collapsed in the area of SW 17th Avenue. Lieutenant McDermott was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Miami Police Department for 24 years.

Survivors

He is survived by two children and two grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-0AC86EDB
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Lieutenant McDermott gave the Miami Police Department 24 years.
Thank you for your service to the Miami community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Miami Police Department

Location Miami, FL

Platform Identity mpd.miamidade.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 18, 1980

Tour of Duty 24 yrs

Age 48

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Military Service

Edward F. McDermott served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Lieutenant Edward F. McDermott is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In FL, 62 of 1,008 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 6.2% of this state's fallen. That is 2.2 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.

At Miami Police Department, 1 of 39 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 2.6% of this agency's fallen.

Miami Police Department

of 39 officers

2.6% Cardiac

FL — Statewide

of 1,008 officers

6.2% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac