Deputy Sheriff Carl Allen Koontz

I remember briefly hearing about your passing 5 years ago. I am always shocked when I hear of a L.E.O.'s death, but it's much more sad to me when it's done because of a person's malicious actions and it happens to be closer to home.

I had called around the time of your funeral to ask Sheriff Roger's for a department patch to go with your ODMP bio that I had printed out and had put on my wall. I was just starting my dreams to want to go into law enforcement at 15. I never knew that just a few years later, I'd meet people who knew you, work with your mother at the humane society, and hear so many stories about you from people.

I have spoken with people impacted by your existence, met deputies and jailors who knew and worked with you. One of them, John Weaver, whom I worked 2 seasons with on a city parks job, told me how you were able to stop an inmate from escaping the Jail, when you and him worked in Corrections. He said, that's what got you to be looked into to become a deputy. He even had told me how it wasn't your shift when you assisted with the warrant to help your fellow officers out that night that you had been shot.

I have lived here in Kokomo for 3 years now and there's always signs, stickers, and all sorts of designs featuring 34-76. Many of our deputies, still wear badge bands with it on there as well and to my knowledge it's on all the marked patrol vehicles for HCSO.

Your memory and presence is still very felt here, as well as undeniably respected. Some people can say there is a lack of heroes or good police officers, when in reality they never knew a Deputy Koontz. Usually, I've only noticed that a majority of people that last on this kind of career force are good at heart.

I plan to finally start college soon and go after my goals, even doing some charity work and projects aside from it. In my mind, I will always remember what you have done for our community and how good your example is for a human being.

Thank you and rest in peace!

Ryan J. Curry - Kokomo, Indiana
(Future Police Officer)

December 8, 2021