COLUMBUS, Ohio — Eight Ohio peace officers who died in the line of duty over the last several years were honored in a tribute Thursday.
A motorcade traveled from downtown Columbus to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in Madison County for the 35th annual Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, members of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission and law enforcement officers throughout the state gathered for the recognition of eight officers who died within the past four years and seven historical honorees.
The names will join 829 others on the Ohio Fallen Officers Memorial Wall who sacrificed their lives since 1823 in service to the public.
“The promise that we make to fallen officers – to keep their memories alive – is not only for them,” Yost said. “We do it for the officers and deputies who stand and serve now. We do this so that all of them know how much we value them, and their mission, and their courage.”
The honorees are as follows:
Peace officers honored during memorial ceremony
Deputy Daniel Kin, Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office | Kin, 34, was killed in a crash on Dec. 15, 2022, while transporting a prisoner from southern Ohio to the county courthouse. Though he only worked for the sheriff’s office for less than a year, his colleagues said they remember him as someone who loved the job and showed it with his infectious smile.
Deputy Matthew Yates, Clark County Sheriff’s Office | Yates, 41, was responding to a report of gunshots at a Springfield area mobile home park on July 24, 2022, where a woman was shot and killed by her son. When deputies entered the home, they were met with gunfire and Yates was fatally shot. He was a second-generation law enforcement officer and enjoyed working with young people.
Officer Dominic Francis, Bluffton Police Department | Francis, 42, was struck and killed by a stolen car that was being pursued by Ohio State Highway Patrol Troopers on March 31, 2022, while he was deploying tire-puncturing stop strips. He was named Officer of the Year twice during his time with the department.
Agent John Stayrook, Medina County Drug Task Force | Stayrook, 60, died Feb. 6, 2022, after contracting COVID-19 while helping the Brunswick Division of Police a month earlier during a drug-related stop. According to a release, Stayrook joined law enforcement later in life after a career in construction. He is remembered by coworkers as someone who was passionate about drug-enforcement specialization and had a great talent for interviewing.
Patrolman Sean VanDenberg, Lawrence Township Police Department | VanDenberg, 53, died of COVID-19 on Dec. 25, 2021, which he contracted after arresting a man and taking him to jail. VanDenberg became an officer after a career as a mechanic, welder and fabricator. He entered Stark State College Law Enforcement Academy at age 44. He is remembered by his colleagues as the “dad” of the department.
Deputy Robert Mills, Butler County Sheriff’s Office | Mills retired from his position in June 2019 after more than 30 years in law enforcement and then later returned months later. He died on Sept. 12, 2021, after battling COVID-19. He’s remembered by colleagues for his excellent ability to find people named in warrants.
Officer Edward Stewart, Akron Police Department | Stewart, 60, died on Feb. 12, 2021, after fighting COVID-19 for two months. Stewart was an Air Force veteran and served 27 years at the department as a transport wagon officer. Colleagues remember Stewart’s thirst for knowledge and photographic memory, which aided the department in its case work.
Officer Kenneth Jones, Akron Police Department | Jones, 55, died of a heart attack on Nov. 7, 2020, the day after he began feeling chest pains while responding to a domestic assault call. He had served at the department for 26 years. He is remembered by his colleagues as a gentle giant whose calmness had a way of defusing tense situations on the job.
“Each of them defended our society and its values against those who seek to steal, kill and destroy,” Yost said. “And everything we have today is here because they safeguarded these things with their lives.
The seven historical honorees are:
- Perry County Deputy Herbert Minshull, who was shot and killed in 1945 while attempting to serve a warrant.
- Six Dayton police officers who died of the Spanish flu contracted while on duty between 1918 and 1920: Troy E. Sine, Clement L. Francis, Emerson Glotfelter, Vinton E. Harsh, Edward M. Hennessey and Lawrence R. Graham.
For more information on the memorial and the lives being honored, visit the Fallen Officers Memorial webpage.
