RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — Flags flew at half-staff Wednesday morning in Richmond as the community gathered to honor Officer Daniel Ellis, who was shot and killed 10 years ago while tracking down a robbery suspect.
“Felt the same. It was a Wednesday, it was beautiful, I’m pretty sure the time change just happened,” Ellis’ widow, Katie, said.
The memorial ceremony drew current department members and several community members who have continued to honor the officer's memory each year. Even the cruiser Ellis drove remains out of service but on display as a lasting tribute.
“We plan to keep that (car) like this for as long as possible,” said Chief Rodney Richardson, who was a department member 10 years ago but hadn’t yet ascended to the top spot. “The sacrifice he made for the city of Richmond and the people who live here, it has not been forgotten. It guides us in how we do business here today."
While the grief has been challenging for Richardson and everyone present at the time of the tragedy, processing the loss has been tough for former Chief Larry Brock, who hired Ellis and made a promise to his family on the day Ellis was sworn in.
“I would always tell the families, ‘We’re going to do the best to take care of your son or daughter,’” he said. “You feel a lot of responsibility for that, even though deep down you know there's nothing you could've done to stop it, you still feel that, and I still feel it to this day. It's like I didn't take care of their child for them. That was something I had to work through for quite a period of time."
Brock also said Ellis was a perfect choice as an officer and helped change the culture at the department.
“It’s soothing to see the community still remembers Daniel,” Mr. Brock said.
Katie echoed similar sentiments about the support she has received from the department and Richmond residents.
“It was the honor of a lifetime to be his wife, and to get to be Luke’s mom, and I can't imagine I would do it differently if I had to do it again. For the past 10 years, this community has been amazing,” she said.
The community plans to return next November to honor the officer's legacy once again.
