Matthew Michael Griffith

Broward County Sheriff's Office — Fort Lauderdale, FL

Suicide Honored

End of Watch November 29, 2019

Age 43

The Vigil Panel 170 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 23

Biography

Matthew “Chili Dog” Griffith, who entered this lifetime on February 14, 1977, left his body on November 29th, 2019. His spirit will live on by his wife, Paola Griffith, mother, Rita Griffith, father, John Griffith, brother, Mark Griffith, and an extended list of family and friends from every walk of life, including the Festival Flea Market locals. Matthew began his law enforcement career at the age of 20 as a police officer for Lake Placid, Florida office, later moving on to become a Deputy with the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Dania Beach aka: ‘Twilight Zone’, where he served for 18 years. He was a Master Mason from West Broward Lodge #253 in Pembroke Pines, FL, and a 32° Scottish Rite Mason. If you were blessed to have known Matthew, you learned many valuable life lessons from this genuine pure soul, among them: “don’t eat yellow snow”, and “it’s all a joke, and it should be treated as such”. Youthful wisdom at its finest. Matthew was a divinely inappropriate witty man who injected just the right amount of macabre humor to catch anyone’s attention, even his 7-year-old nephew, Kai – he was immensely loved and appreciated for his peculiar yet endearing character. You may read this and recall a collection of pleasant memories, and funny thoughts, huh?!? moments, memories that inspire laughter, and some that you would rather keep classified and in your heart forever – whatever the memory, it’s surely sketched in your heart because, yes, he had that effect on you. No denying that. Matthew had the perfect combination of innocence, confidence, integrity, kindness, humor, deviation, and loving nature and for these and many more qualities, he will be greatly missed.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-3DF1C6AA
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

Officer Matthew Griffith served with the Broward County Sheriff.
Thank you for your service. We will always remember your sacrifice.
You belong on this wall. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Broward County Sheriff's Office

Location Fort Lauderdale, FL

Platform Identity browso.broward.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 29, 2019

Age 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Suicide

Matthew Michael Griffith is one of 256 officers honored for deaths connected to the weight of the job across the full record of this memorial — 0.8% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In FL, 13 of 1,008 officers were honored for deaths connected to the weight of the job — 1.3% of this state's fallen. That is 0.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0.8%.

At Broward County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 24 officers on record were honored for deaths connected to the weight of the job — 4.2% of this agency's fallen.

Broward County Sheriff's Office

of 24 officers

4.2% Suicide

FL — Statewide

of 1,008 officers

1.3% Suicide

Nationwide

256

of 32,508 officers

0.8% Suicide