COLUMBUS, Ind. — Heartfelt cards. Fresh bouquets. Squeaky toys.
These were among the items left on the hood of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Bush’s police vehicle as a memorial for his fallen K9 partner, Diesel.
Diesel was killed Saturday while pursuing a suspect in a domestic violence incident. The exact cause of his death is unclear at present.
Bush’s car has been parked outside the Bartholomew County Jail as a place where members of the community can pay their respects to the K9 and leave tributes in his honor.
“It’s just as much Diesel’s car as it was the K9 handler’s,” said Chief Deputy Maj. Chris Lane. “Diesel rode in that car every night when he came to work.”
Many people have reached out to the department over social media to express their condolences, so it seemed appropriate to give the community an opportunity to memorialize Diesel, Lane said.
“We’ve had such a tremendous outpouring from the whole community here,” he said. “The dog’s not just the sheriff’s department dog, it’s the citizens of Bartholomew County’s K9 also.”
Lane added that anyone wishing to leave a card or tribute on Bush’s car should not block lanes of traffic. Instead, they should park in either the parking lot to the north of the jail and across the street, or the gravel parking lot to the east of the jail. The sheriff’s department also asks that visitors use the crosswalk to get to the vehicle.
Deputies have said that the department is working on a memorial service and will update the public soon. The department thanked the community for its support during the difficult time.
In addition to local tributes, the department has received calls from all over the country from people expressing condolences about Diesel’s death.
For those inquiring about a memorial for Diesel, staff members are working on details. Anyone interested in contributing to a memorial may do so at the BCSO K9 Fund at the sheriff’s department. Checks should be made payable to the Bartholomew County Sheriff K9 Fund with a note on the memo line “Diesel memorial.”
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
