CLARK COUNTY — People are sending flowers, care packages, and messages of love and support to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the family of Deputy Matthew Yates, who was shot and killed in the line of duty Sunday.
Wives of law enforcement officers are also working to support the family in this difficult time.
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Jessica Olson is married to a police officer and is a member of the Dayton & Miami Valley Chapter of Police Wives of Ohio. She says statewide they are a close knit community, one of the reasons the Police Wives put up blue ribbons all around Springfield.
“It’s a symbol of remembrance. We want to make sure that people remember the sacrifice that Deputy Yates made. But it’s also symbol of letting the law enforcement officers of Clark County know that we are all in this together. We are all part of a family, and we are thinking of them,” Olson said.
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She says they work to be as respectful as possible to the families because they understand that grief.
Olson told News Center 7 that they often have to push the reality of their husband’s jobs out of their minds.
She says they want to help the families dealing with tragedies in anyway they can.
“The worst thing that could ever happen is losing somebody in such a tragic manner. Deputy Yates by all accounts was an amazing person and an amazing deputy. He was an amazing husband and father, somebody lost their loved one,” Olson said.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office wives have organized a memorial walk at the fairgrounds on Friday to honor Deputy Yates. The walk will begin at 5 p.m. in front of the sheriff’s command post.