Gore celebrates passage of resolutions to honor Deputy John Durm, Officer Breann Leath
Yesterday (Feb. 26), House Concurrent Resolutions 2 and 4 passed the Senate unanimously. HCR 2 will rename the stretch of I-74 southeast of the Acton Road exit the “Deputy John Durm Memorial Mile’’ and HCR 4 will rename the portion of U.S. Highway 52 between Davis Road and German Church Road the “Officer Breann Leath Memorial Mile.” In 2020, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Breann Leath was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance. This summer, Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy John Durm was killed in the line of duty by an inmate during a routine prisoner transport.
“If memorializing Deputy John Durm and Officer Breann Leath was the only thing I got done during my time in the legislature, I would leave here fulfilled,” State Rep. Mitch Gore (D-Indianapolis), author of both HCR 4 and HCR 2, said. “Thousands of people will see those signs every day and remember the names and legacies of John and Bre. I am so proud to have helped carry these resolutions to honor our dedicated first responders and show that we won’t forget them after they make the ultimate sacrifice.
“Bre served her country in the National Guard, her state at the Department of Correction, and her city with IMPD before her life was tragically cut short at the age of 24. She embodied everything a public servant should be. With the recent attention on the man who ended her life, it is more important than ever that we refocus on her service and how we will ensure that her legacy will live on.”
“John served the Marion County Sheriff’s Office with honor for nearly 40 years. He came from a long line of public servants. His father was a law enforcement officer, both of his brothers were law enforcement officers, his son was in the academy when he died and his significant other still serves at the sheriff’s office with me. He was the epitome of a dedicated public servant, and I hope we all remember his sacrifice every time we see that sign on I-74.”