TOLEDO, Ohio — “He had your six, always,” said Bluffton Police Chief Ryan Burkholder.
That’s how police say they have your back.
Law enforcement from across the state made the trip to Bluffton to return the favor with a show of solidarity for fallen Bluffton Police Officer Dominick Francis.
“Police officer. The definition of the thin blue line. Dominic was all of this and so, so much more,” Burkholder said.
He was also a football coach, a bus driver and a substitute teacher at Cory-Rawson High School. He died on duty after being hit by a car during a chase. He was setting up spikes to try and stop that car.
Officials line up in honor of fallen Police Officer Dominic Francis. (Steve Maugeri/Spectrum News 1)
Officials arrested three people in connection to the crash: Emin Johnson, 20; Zachary Love, 21; and Dante Tate, 19.
Allen County Sheriff Matthew Treglia said Francis made the ultimate sacrifice.
“It’s a sad day. At the end of the day, he’ll never be replaced, and it’s gonna be hard to move on after this,” Treglia said.
Supporters packed the campus of Bluffton University for the fallen officer, who was then laid to rest at a nearby cemetery.
“He carried the weight of his badge to the fullest extent. He loved his job,” Burkholder said.
Francis was awarded the Medal of Honor and Purple Heart for his sacrifice during the memorial service.
