MINNEOLA, Fla. – A year after a Lake County sheriff’s deputy was killed in the line of duty, a stretch of Highway 27 was dedicated to him Saturday morning.

Master Deputy Bradley Link was shot and killed a year ago during what law enforcement described as an ambush.

Back in March, the city of Minneola approved the dedication of Highway 27 in Link’s honor from Division Street to County Road 561.

“This highway is more than a road,” said Maj. Todd English of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. “It is a tribute to a hero, a husband, a son, a brother, and a friend whose legacy will never be forgotten.”

[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

During Saturday’s ceremony, English said Link exemplified what it truly means to wear the badge.

“Though the sorrow of that day remains, so too does the pride we feel in having served beside such an extraordinary man,” English said.

On Aug. 2, 2024, investigators said deputies were responding to a neighborhood dispute near County Road 439 and Brookside Drive.

They said deputies entered a home and were ambushed.

Deputy Link was killed. Deputies Harold Howell and Stefano Gargano were also shot, but survived.

Maj. Christie Mysinger with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said this past year has been a healing process for the agency.

“Bradley was our brother,” Mysinger said. “He was, for some people, like a son to us in the sense that he would call us mom. You know, Bradley was one of those people who always had a smile on his face. He was the first one to volunteer, he was the first one to want to crack a joke, and any time you lose somebody like that, it’s so hard and it takes a long time to heal.”

Mysinger said there were many emotions when Deputy Link’s memorial highway signs were revealed Saturday morning.

“For those who start in the law-enforcement career, the legacy that he built, he leaves behind the many men and women who will drive that road and they’ll look up and see that sign and just for a minute, Bradley will still be alive,” Mysinger said.

Minneola Vice Mayor Pam Serviss took the lead on the project. She said it was overwhelming to see the support from the community.

“I had to just keep myself together because the first thing I wanted to do was just cry,” Serviss said. “It was a mixture of tears. Tears of joy that everyone came together. Tears of sadness because of the reason why we are here. But most of all, the tears of gratitude and grace and appreciation.”

Julie Sulpizio, who investigators said orchestrated the ambush, was ruled incompetent to stand trial in May and remains in custody at the Sumter County Detention Center.

Investigators said Sulpizio directed her husband and two adult daughters to hide inside the home with a stockpile of guns and ammunition. The three family members took their own lives after the shooting.