CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Robina Browne, right, mother of Daniel Browne-Sanchez, held a box presented to her by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in memory of her son yesterday during a ceremony at the state Capitol. Browne-Sanchez was slain last year.

Deputy sheriff’s bravery honored

Friends and family never forgot the heroic efforts of Deputy Sheriff Daniel Browne-Sanchez last year when he was shot trying to subdue a robber at a Honolulu restaurant and bar.

The Department of Public Safety held a tribute at the State Capitol auditorium yesterday in remembrance of Browne-Sanchez, on the first anniversary of his funeral.

Officials presented Browne-Sanchez's mother, Robina Browne, with an award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police commemorating her son.

In May, Browne-Sanchez's name will be inscribed on the wall at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C., during National Police Week.

Robina Browne described the award and the tribute as a great honor, saying he would have wanted to share the award with the Sheriff Division.

"His actions reflect the quality of the sheriff's department," she said after the tribute. Browne-Sanchez was a five-year deputy sheriff with the state Sheriff Division.

Tears streamed down his mother's face when she talked about her admiration for her only child. "I always supported everything he ever did in his life. I support him now although it's hard and I miss him," she said.

Browne-Sanchez, 27, was working as a part-time bar back at Osake Sushi Bar & Lounge on Kapiolani Boulevard on Feb. 10, 2007, when he was shot three times as he attempted to subdue Patrick Lorenzo Jr., who held bar employees at gunpoint in a robbery attempt. In November, a Circuit Court jury found Lorenzo guilty of second-degree murder in Browne-Sanchez's death.

Friends said it feels as if Browne-Sanchez's death had just happened.

During the tribute, Deputy Sheriff Geoff Peterson used his shirt to wipe away tears as he watched a video of broadcast news footage and a personal video of Brown-Sanchez's motorcade and funeral service.

"It's kind of tough right now reliving the moment," said Peterson, who worked with Browne-Sanchez at Honolulu District Court for almost a year. "What he did that day was heroic."