NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Nicholasville Police Department is preparing to honor an officer who was killed in a 2015 crash with a memorial race.
"It was tragic for us, because we hadn't had a line of duty death since, I believe, the '40s was the last one, so it was new territory for us," said Captain Alexus Jones.
Officer Burke Rhoads was killed in a crash while on duty. Captain Jones said Rhoads was the kind of officer who commanded respect.
"He was a special kind of officer. With him, there was no gray, it was black and white. He was always doing the right thing," Jones said.
When Rhoads died, they wanted to keep his legacy going, so they launched "The Burke". In honor of Rhoads' badge number 574, "The Burke" is a 5.74-kilometer race around the grounds of East Jessamine Middle and High Schools. In the first year, the event raised money to buy fitness equipment for the department's new building. Rhoads, Jones said, was passionate about fitness. Now, the event raises money for the families of other fallen officers across Kentucky.
As runners come out for this year's event on March 3, officers want them to understand what Rhoads stood for.
"The new officers that come, they don’t know him. They just know our stories, so we want Burke, he loved this town, and we want him to be remembered," Jones said.
"I hope they get a sense of community, because that's what was important to Burke was family and community," she added.
To learn more, visit www.TheBurke.com.
