Last week, a funeral was held in rural Kentucky to honor Jason Ellis, a K-9 officer who was ambushed and killed. Over 1,000 people, including many police officers from neighboring states, attended the funeral to pay their respects. Even Fido, Ellis’ faithful police dog, was present and placed his paw on the closed casket, which was captured in a poignant photograph by Jonathan Palmer.
On May 25, Ellis was shot many times while picking up trash on a highway off-ramp in Bardstown, Kentucky. Sadly, Fido wasn’t with him during the incident. Bardstown is a small community of approximately 12,000 residents situated around 40 miles southeast of Louisville. The case of Ellis’ death still remains unsolved.
The funeral of a K-9 officer was attended by many of his fellow officers, and their dogs could be heard expressing their grief from their parked vehicles. This touching moment was reported by the Herald Leader.
At the ceremony, the honor guard’s call caused hundreds of officers to snap to attention. The 60 police dogs present joined in with barks that echoed the 21-gun salute from the guards. The Bardstown Police Chief, Rick McCubbin, paid tribute to Ellis, a valued member of the force for six years. McCubbin also promised to pursue and bring the perpetrator of the heinous crime to justice.
“As your chief, I’m Jason,” McCubbin said, “but I want you to know that you’re our hero, and I won’t give up.” He continued, “My friend Jason, take a break. We’ll take it from here.” Ellis is remembered by his wife Amy, and two sons, Hunter, 7, and Parker, six. “He lost his life doing what he loved, serving as a police officer,” McCubbin stated.
