RICHMOND, Ky (LEX 18) Young men at colleges across the country have spent years raising money for a memorial for a fallen officer. Next week, that memorial will be unveiled in honor of Richmond Police Officer Daniel Ellis.
In the more than two years since Officer Daniel Ellis was killed in the line of duty, his fellow brothers in blue have kept his legacy alive. At the same time, another brotherhood has also been working to make sure Ellis is remembered as a hero.
"It’s the legacy he left behind and what he’s done for our chapter," said Aaron Flatt, the president of EKU Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Before his days with the Richmond Police Department, Officer Ellis was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Eastern Kentucky University. Even after he graduated, he continued to serve his fraternity brothers.
"Specifically for our chapter, he came down for rush, for recruitment one week. I believe it was the spring before he passed away, and he just captivated everyone with the way he spoke," said Flatt.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon members across the country are honoring the fallen officer.
A memorial will be installed in the Levere Memorial Temple at Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s national headquarters in Chicago. The statue will honor Ellis, along with two other SAE brothers who were killed in the line-of-duty.
Flatts said he knows there is a lot of negativity surrounding Greek life nationally, but Officer Ellis is proof that a lot of good can come from being part of a brotherhood.
"He’s a shining light of that. He’s the perfect example. He gave to his community every single day, he gave to his chapter and he helped us every single day and that’s how we live and that’s how we like to portray ourselves," said Flatt.
The memorial will be installed next Friday
