Delaware County mourns sheriff’s deputy as law enforcement across Indiana help with funeral

Daniel Huber, IPR News

At Delta High School in Muncie, around 600 people, including family and friends, law enforcement officers and the general public, attended the funeral for Corporal Blake Reynolds, 31, on Saturday, Nov. 22.

Reynolds was killed on I-69, the morning of November 12, while responding to a disabled semi-truck. Another semi-truck hit him and his patrol vehicle.

Pastor Brian White of Harvest Church in Carmel opened the funeral with a few words.

“He wasn’t a religious man, he was a faithful man. He loved deeply and gave freely and lived with a quiet conviction. To those who knew him best, Blake was loyal, ornery, goofy, and steady,” White said.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Department Sargent Josh Maxwell said he knew Reynolds since 2017, and said that his enthusiasm “shined through his work.”

“Blake served his country, Delaware County, and its citizens with conviction. Blake is and always will be a man who served in the name of the Lord,” Blake said. “To Blake’s family, I want to say thank you for allowing each of us the time we spent with Blake. All the laughs we had through the ups and the downs. He will truly be missed by all who have come to know him.”

When Reynolds applied to be a corporal, Sheriff Tony Skinner said he was an easy hire for them. After Reynold’s death, he felt robbed of two things: the corporal’s humor and potential.

“I would have loved to have seen where he was going to be 20 years down the road, if I’m still here on this planet. I feel confident in saying that at that point in time, there’s going to be somebody who’s a lieutenant or a captain or maybe even a sheriff at the time who’s only in that position because Blake didn’t have a chance to be there.”

Reynolds’ younger brother, Dustin, said he admired his brother’s commitment to serve the community and make a difference.

“He did the right thing simply because it’s the right thing. He was good for the sake of good. He didn’t need attention. He didn’t need recognition, but just wanted to be of service. And that was good enough for him,” he said.

“So, to my broski, I love you so much. I miss you. I can’t wait to be cruising with you again, windows down and rock music blaring. But until that day, I’m going to keep living every day serving Jesus and others, just like he did.”

Reynolds’ father, Bruce, recounted the time he first took his son to church.

“The very first Sunday after Blake was born, we had him in church, and a few months later, we dedicated our son to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because what we knew was that he was a gift from God, and being a gift from God, we wanted to say, we give him back to you, Lord, to do with what you desire.”

Allie Reynolds, the corporal’s wife, took the time to thank God, emergency workers and first responders who helped her husband in his final moments, the sheriff and police chief who were there for her in her first moments of grief, hospital staff, and many others who have given her and her family assistance during this time.

“Blake Adair Reynolds was many things. A son, a brother, a friend, and a husband. A corporal who gave his life in the line of duty, but also a man whose life was defined not by how it ended, but by the savior he lived for. From the very beginning, Blake knew this work was his calling. He didn’t wear the badge for recognition or applause. In fact, he usually tried to hide it when we were out and about. He wore the badge because God wired his heart to protect and serve,” she said.

She also took the time to forgive the man who accidentally killed her husband.

“I do not forgive because it’s easy or because what happened can ever be undone. I forgive because I have been forgiven of so much more. Jesus took the punishment for my sin upon himself at the cross. And because of that mercy, I cannot withhold forgiveness from another soul.”

The funeral was followed by a motorcade across Muncie. Police officers and first responders across Indiana, from St. Joseph County to Columbus, drove cars, trucks and motorcycles to mourn the loss of their brother.

The motorcade stopped at the Delaware County Justice Center where Reynolds’ “end of watch” 10-42 call was made to mark the end of his service and to announce the retirement of his badge number. Greeting officers and guests with a picture of Reynolds was St. Joseph County police officer Jax Ohda. Despite serving an area two-and-a-half hours away, the loss of another service member hits him hard.

“Most officers across the state know of a friend that they have lost in the line of duty. Most officers, unfortunately, by the end of their career will attend a funeral that they know the person that was affected. They know the family,” he said.

Joe Hamer, Chairman of the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police’s Critical Incident/Memorial Team, helped organize the service. From speaking to the family to providing officers white carnations for their uniforms, Hamer works with his team to provide the best service possible to the family and guests. He has been chairman since 2012, but organizing these services never gets easier.

“Matter what, it’s a new face, it’s a new town, it’s a new family, and it’s a family that is being brought into a family that they’ve never wanted to be a part of.”

Despite not knowing Reynolds, after working with the family, he says he feels like he personally knows the fallen corporal. One aspect he admired about Reynolds was his love for God.

“Everybody believes in their higher power, whatever that may be. No one is better than the other. In my mind, I don’t want to speak for everyone on that, but we’re just all trying to get to the same place, and the way I look at it is that one day, I’ll be able to meet every officer that I’ve ever met.”

The motorcade ended at Yorktown’s Jones Cemetery. Bagpipes played “Amazing Grace” as officers folded the U.S. flag that laid on Reynolds’ casket. The Color Guard gave him a three-volley salute. Officers removed the white carnations pinned on their uniforms from the morning to place on top of Reynold’s brown casket. Guests were able to say their final goodbyes to the corporal.

Daniel Huber is a news fellow with Ball State Public Media’s Public Media Accelerator student fellowships.