BEECH GROVE — Support is pouring in for the Beech Grove Police Department and Officer Brian Elliott's family following his death in the line of duty.
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In addition to a growing memorial, organizers have set up a space they hope serves as a beacon of hope for grieving officers. Local police support groups are standing ready to help the department through this difficult time.
Outside the Beech Grove Police Department, the Fraternal Order of Police has set up hot food and a space for officers to take a moment as they grieve the loss of their brother in blue, Officer Brian Elliott.
"They lost one of their brothers. They lost a loved one," said Bobby Ferguson, vice president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 86.
Ferguson said it's a blessing to be able to support fellow officers during this time.
"Beech Grove is a very tight-knit community. Even though they're inside Marion County, they have their own police department, their own city operating, and it's very close-knit group of people," Ferguson said.
The support includes a trailer called the ARK (Active Response Kit). It was initially created for natural disasters, but this is the second time it's been activated for a line-of-duty death.
Ferguson said the goal is "to actually be able to provide something and give the officers hope, and to be there to support them during their darkest hour."
Elliott leaves behind a wife and family.
"She's not alone," said Cherilyn Eby with Blue Bond.
As the wife of a central Indiana police officer, Eby says it's a role few truly understand unless you live it.
"I have planned his funeral in my head more times than I want to admit. His sole purpose, not only to help the community, is to come home every night to his family. So if that doesn't happen, then I know that there was literally nothing that he could have done," Eby said.
Eby has reached out to the Beech Grove Police Department, wanting Elliott's wife and family to know there is a network of wives, spouses and families in Indiana ready to help.
"While her husband's sacrifice is so very painful, we definitely honor his sacrifice. We thank him for putting on that badge. We thank him for doing something that not a lot of people want to do nowadays," Eby said.
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