4:30 P.M. update
COLUMBUS, Ind. — Sheriff’s deputies, police and canine officers joined with the community to say farewell to K9 Diesel, with hundreds of local families driving through the FairOaks Mall parking lot to pay their respects.
On a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon, canine handlers and their dogs and and a law enforcement officer stood at attention next to Diesel’s flag-covered casket, as community residents drove by and dropped off stuffed animals, flowers and tennis balls which covered the hood of Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Bush’s police vehicle.
Diesel died Nov. 14 while chasing a domestic violence suspect into the woods near I-65 in the county, eventually out on to the interstate, where he is believed to have been hit by a vehicle. The suspect was later caught in a ravine near the interstate.
At the end of ceremonies on Saturday, a Bartholomew County Sheriff honor guard folded the flag covering Diesel’s casket, presenting it first to Chief Deputy Maj. Chris Lane, who then presented it to the Bush and his family. Bush’s son Alex was presented with Diesel’s badge as part of the ceremony.
The family wiped tears from their eyes as they gently patted Diesel’s casket as they said goodbye.
“It’s rough. It’s a lot harder than a normal pet,” Bush said after the memorial. “We were together every minute of every day — we were together.”
For more on this story, including more photos, see Sunday’s Republic.
ORIGINAL STORY:
COLUMBUS, Ind. — The drive-thru tribute to Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department K9 Diesel is underway at the FairOaks Mall in Columbus. A ceremony is planned at around 3 p.m. with K9 handlers and their dogs honoring Diesel, who died when hit by a vehicle while pursuing a domestic violence suspect across I-65. For more on this story, see Sunday’s Republic.
