“To say this was a huge loss to many is an understatement,” Sims said. “An entire community has suffered this loss and has been healing since that tragic event. Since that outpouring of support, and it was tremendous, we go on in our lives, we deal with our own day-to-day responsibilities. The challenge that lies ahead will be to never forget what Brian has meant to us all.”
Sims led Dulle’s children — Maddie, Emma and Jackson — over to the memorial and helped them pull a green and black tarp off, revealing the latest memorial along Justice Drive. Dulle’s widow, Abbie, later attached a memorial streamer to the Buckeye State Sheriff’s Office flag.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Color Guard and Pipe and Drum Band marched in front of the memorial and placed the American and state of Ohio flags on either side of the memorial in front of a stone bench. Tears flowed when a dispatcher’s voice came over the loud speaker.
“Attention all Warren County units, Route 42 both north and south of Utica Road is now officially the Sgt. Brian Dulle Memorial Highway,” the dispatcher said. “You will never be forgotten.”
All heads bowed as The Rev. William Hounshell, who is the chaplain for the sheriff’s office, led the group in prayer.
“We thank you for the privilege today, to come and honor such a good man, and we thank you for the years that you allowed him to be a part of our lives,” he said.
Dulle’s father expressed gratitude after the ceremony for the community’s ongoing support through numerous fundraisers and events.
He said his son was not a man who liked a lot of attention, but said he would have liked the simple rock etched with the words “In memory of Sgt. Brian S. Dulle, Warren County Sheriff’s Office.”
“Sometimes those type of things are kind of gaudy, but I think it’s very attractive and very well done, a unique rock,” Ed Dulle said. “Although he was very private and didn’t like a lot of fanfare, this will mean a lot to him. He knows his kids and his grandkids can come here 50 years from now.”
Dulle, 36, of Turtlecreek Twp., died when he was struck in May 2011 by a stolen car driven by Marcus Isreal of Middletown.
Dulle was deploying tire deflation devices near the intersection of U.S. 42 and Utica Road in Lebanon around 1:30 a.m. on May 10, 2011, when he was struck by the car and killed.
His death marked the first time a deputy had been killed in the line of duty in Warren County and sent shockwaves throughout the community.
Dulle was a graduate of Miami University and also served in the U.S. Army before joining the Warren County Sheriff’s Office in 1999. In 2004, Dulle founded Maddie’s Hope, a nonprofit organization in response to his daughter being diagnosed with a rare form of childhood cancer.
Israel was convicted in October 2011 of murder and several other felonies and sentenced to 25½ years to life in prison.
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