SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Hundreds of people came to First Christian Church to remember and celebrate the life of Deputy Matthew Yates on Monday afternoon. 

Yates was shot and killed Sunday, July 24, after responding to a report of a shooting at Harmony Estates, a mobile home park outside of Springfield.  

His family described him as a warrior, champion and hero. He served 15 years with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and was a part of various groups within the force. Members of law enforcement agencies from Columbus to Hamilton County showed up to pay their respects.

Many of his friends and colleagues spoke, including Sheriff Deborah Bruchett, who said Yates’ presence will be missed.

“You served every day without showing bias of any kind,” said Bruchett. “You’ve shown us how to love and fight for the weak. You are the kind of man we all want to be. You touched each soul that you met in your own special way. You make people feel their worth each day, so we’re left here now speechless with tears running down our face, just wondering what last word you might say.”

Family members and friends were also among those to honor Yates with memories. While there were tears, there were also lighthearted stories from friends to remember the impact he had on their lives and community.

“He started doing these squats, and I could hear him back there and ‘oh yeah, I got this’ and next thing I hear is the sound of fabric ripping,” said Deputy Fitzroy Lawrence with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. 

He had loved ones, both in and out of uniform.

Mahdi Wade played basketball with Yates. He called him his Charles Barkley and said that he was a leader on the court and in the community.

“He was a bridge and he could connect with you on any conversation piece, any topic, that’s what he was, he was a connector,” said Wade. “No matter what life throws at you, no matter what your situation looks like, you can overcome it and Matt made you believe that.” 

Yates was married with three children. His two sons got up to say their last goodbyes and ensured to their dad that his legacy would live on inside them.

“When you’re in this profession of law enforcement, you never know when your last goodbye will be,” said Yates’ son Anthony Reed. “This one was definitely too soon, but I know Matt would want us to be strong and make sure that everyone’s taking care of; Mom and AK, we love you, and we’re going to do exactly that. We love you, Matt, and we’ll miss you forever. There’s a saying that grief doesn’t get lighter or easier. We just get stronger.” 

A personalized SWAT truck escorted Yates to FernCliff Cemetery after the service. The details of his death and the overall incident that took place at Harmony Estates are still under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.