The Bardstown and Nelson County My Old Kentucky Home FOP Lodge 43 has posted a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals involved in destroying a police officer’s memorial.
In a Facebook post, the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office asked for the public’s help to identify and locate the individual who damaged a memorial for Officer Jason Ellis at Exit 34 on the Bluegrass Parkway.
According to the post, the damage and theft took place sometime between October 9 and October 13 when a person or persons removed a metal memorial flag and vandalized property.
“This was a deliberate, calculated theft as the flag was bolted to a metal fastener and anchored into the rock.,’ the post stated. “This is yet another blow to Jason’s family and our community as a whole.”
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According to the FBI, Ellis was killed in May 2013 after finishing his shift for the Bardstown Police Department. Ellis had signed off on the radio and was driving home when he encountered branches blocking the road, which he got out of his cruiser to clear. While attempting to remove the debris, he was shot several times and died shortly after. His case remains unsolved.
Officer Ellis was discovered by a passing motorist. He was a K-9 handler for the police department in addition to his patrol duties. Outside of work, he was heavily involved in the community, including coaching youth baseball.
If you have any information regarding this theft or saw anything unusual at this location during that time, please call the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office at 502-348-1840.
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