LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Friends, family and colleagues paid tribute to Jefferson County Sheriff Deputy Brandon Shirley on Wednesday. Shirley was shot and killed August 5 while working an off-duty security job.
What You Need To Know
- Memorial and funeral services were held Wednesday for 26-year-old Brandon Shirley
- Shirley was shot and killed August 5 while working a security job
- Shirley was remember Wednesday by father and Jefferson County Sheriff John Aubrey
- Police and federal agencies are searching for anyone involved in Shirley's death
Around 1,500 people attended the memorial service for slain Sheriff's Deputy Brandon Shirley on Wednesday at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville. It happened one week after Shirley was shot and killed while working a security job he held outside of the Sheriff's Department.
Shirley was eulogized by Bill Weedman – an LMPD chaplain, retired officer and Southeast Church pastor.
“Father, we come filled with deep sorrow for the loss of a loving partner, a son, a grandson, a brother and uncle a law enforcement officer and a friend," Weedman began Wednesday. "Our God will you enable the truthful words spoken today to bring comfort to us partner Austin, his family, his law enforcement family and the friends gathered here."
Jefferson County Sheriff Col. John Aubrey also spoke during the memorial service, sharing a touching story about a widely-shared photo of Shirley helping a visually impaired woman during a visit to the Jefferson County Courthouse.
“He was not just telling a blind lady how to get the courtroom she was looking for, he took her by the arm and led her down the hallway to her destination," Aubrey said. "And it captures what Brandon really is and was. For you see Deputy Brandon Shirley was himself one of our brightest rays of hope."
“I would watch as Brandon would give advice with a customer service tone on par with the best Chick-Fil-A employee you’ve ever met," said friend and fellow deputy Trevor Clark. "He approached all interactions with the public as customer service. Even citizens who came in mad at the world, ready to argue with the next person they met, I never heard Brandon use a harsh tone or foul word with any of them."
Shirley's brothers joined their father on stage prior to the eulogy given by Pastor Weedman.
“He is truly the best man I’ve ever met in my life," Brandon's father Brian Shirley said. "He’s definitely the best of us...I’m going to be selfish for a minute and say I wish the world was standing here so the world could know the kind of son I had. Brandon was truly an amazing person. We’re not here to celebrate his passing. We’re here to celebrate my son’s life."