In commemoration of National Police Officers Memorial Week, Kentucky State Police Post 4 in Elizabethtown will honor fallen troopers on Wednesday.
KSP Post 4 will perform a wreath presentation at the burial site of each fallen trooper. Friends, family members and co-workers of the fallen troopers are welcome to attend.
The fallen troopers who will be honored are:
Trooper Lee Trebu Huffman, 27: He was struck and killed by an automobile on May 8, 1953, while working a vehicle accident in Hardin County. He was assigned to Post 4, Elizabethtown and had served with Kentucky State Police for two years. He was survived by his wife and young son. Trooper Huffman is buried at Zachary Taylor Cemetery in Louisville. In honor of his service and sacrifice, KY 218 in Metcalfe County has been designated the “Trooper Lee T. Huffman Memorial Highway.”
Trooper William F. Pickard, 26: He was fatally shot on January 21, 1976, while attempting to serve an arrest warrant in LaRue County. Trooper Pickard had accompanied two Hodgenville police officers to the home of the suspect, who had been charged with assault and wanton menacing. As Trooper Pickard approached the front door, the door flew open, and a shotgun blast was fired, killing Trooper Pickard. He was assigned to Post 4, Elizabethtown and had served with Kentucky State Police for four years. He was survived by his wife and son. Trooper Pickard is buried at Red Hill Cemetery in Hodgenville. In honor of his service and sacrifice, a five-mile stretch of KY 61 in LaRue County has been designated the “Trooper William F. Pickard Memorial Highway.”
Lieutenant Willis D. Martin, 44: He died April 26, 1977, in a vehicle crash in Hardin County. He was assigned to Post 4, Elizabethtown and was a 20-year Kentucky State Police veteran. He is buried at Hardin Memorial Gardens in Elizabethtown. In honor of his service and sacrifice, a six-mile stretch of KY 251 in Hardin County has been designated the “Lieutenant Willis Martin Memorial Highway.”
Trooper Edward R. Harris, 29: He was fatally shot on Nov. 7, 1979, during a traffic stop. According to a witness, Trooper Harris was struck first by a shot fired from inside the suspect’s vehicle and again as he lay in the road. Trooper Harris was assigned to Post 4, Elizabethtown and had served with Kentucky State Police for six-and-a-half years. He was survived by his wife and three young children. He is buried at Red Hill Cemetery in Hodgenville. In honor of his service and sacrifice, KY 3005 in Hardin County has been designated the “Trooper Edward Harris Memorial Highway.”
Sergeant David R. Gibbs, 42: He was traveling west on KY 210 near the Green/LaRue County line when he entered a rain-soaked sharp curve. His marked KSP vehicle traveled into the oncoming lane where it was struck by another vehicle. Sgt. Gibbs was pronounced deceased at the scene on August 7, 2015. He was en route to provide an official escort to a funeral procession. Sgt. Gibbs was assigned to Post 15, Columbia and had served with Kentucky State Police for over 17 years. He was survived by his parents and a son. Sgt Gibbs is buried in the Rineyville Memorial Cemetery in Hardin County. In honor of his service and sacrifice, KY-55 (mile point 8.0 – 10.0) in Taylor County has been the “Sergeant David R. Gibbs Memorial Highway.”
Trooper Joseph “Cameron” Ponder, 31: He was fatally shot on September 13, 2015, while conducting a routine traffic stop on I-24 in Lyon County. Upon receiving his commission as a trooper, he was assigned to Post 1, Mayfield where his death came only nine months into his career. Trooper Ponder is buried at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery in Ft. Knox. I-24 in Lyon County, from the Caldwell County line to its intersection with Kentucky Route 293, is designated as the “Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder Memorial Highway.”
(Photo: Top row l-r: Trooper Lee Trebu Huffman, Trooper William F. Pickard, Lieutenant Willis D. Martin: Bottom row l-r: Trooper Edward R. Harris, Sergeant David R. Gibbs, Trooper Joseph “Cameron” Ponder, courtesy of Kentucky State Police)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
