July 9, 2024, Press Release from the Bluffton Police Department: On Saturday, July 13th, at 3 p.m., the Beyond the Call of Duty “End of Watch Ride to Remember” will be arriving in Bluffton to honor fallen Bluffton Police Officer Dominic Francis (EOW March 31st, 2022). Beyond the Call of Duty and their End of Watch Ride to Remember is an organization out of Spokane Valley, WA, that travels the country with its rolling memorial every other summer to honor the officers that were killed in the line of duty in the previous two years. The organization stops in each community across the United States that have had a line of duty death to pay tribute to the officer, their families, and departments. The purpose of Beyond the Call of Duty “is to ensure that no officer is forgotten, that their families know their loved one has not been forgotten; and that there is recognition, support, and understanding to help them heal. We also support department safety and training to help lower the number of fallen officers we see each year.”
Founder Jagrut Shah, a former deputy sheriff, says they want to show departments and their families who have lost partners and friends they are not alone. “I wanted to bridge this gap that we have and give back to the departments, and let the surviving officers and their families know that their loss has not been forgotten.”
· In 2024, the EOW Ride will be honoring 259 fallen officers killed in the line of duty in 2022 and 2023 at 234 different departments, beginning June 1st, 2024, and traveling 22,500 miles in 73 days.
· Information on the organization and this year’s ride can be found at www.endofwatchride.com.
The rolling memorial will be arriving at the Bluffton Dairy Freeze, 595 S Main St., around 3 p.m. and leaving around 4:30 p.m. with a police escort through downtown Bluffton. This event is open to the public, and if there are any questions, please contact Lt. Matt Oglesbee at the Bluffton Police Department (419-358-2961, ext. 110) or oglesbeem@bluffton-ohio.com.
