In vigil, father of fallen deputy remembers son as 'best man I've ever met'

FAIRDALE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As the sun set, candles began to glow. In the heart of Fairdale, at a roundabout dotted with wreaths and flowers, hundreds of close-knit community members stood for the man they say always stood for them: fallen Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Brandon Shirley.

Hundreds listened, some tearfully, as a procession of speakers approached a lectern, one by one, to share condolences and their memories of Shirley, 26. Some described him as a dedicated public servant. Others remembered him as a baseball star with an infamous knuckle ball. His father, Brian Shirley, remembered him as the best man he'd ever met, and one who was quickly drawn to a life of public service.

"If he heard a ding, a bell, an EMS or a fire truck, his ears popped up like a little rabbit," he shared with the crowd. "We knew he was either going to be a cop, fireman or a lawyer chasing ambulances."

Shirley was shot outside an auto sales lot in Shively early Thursday morning.

According to officials, Shirley was in uniform and sitting in an unmarked car working security at Rockford Lane Auto Sales on Rockford Lane when a gunman came up to the window and shot him at about 2:30 a.m. He was rushed to the hospital, but Sheriff John Aubrey said "his wounds proved to be too extensive, and he did not survive."

Thursday, Louisville Metro Police Chief Erika Shields expressed condolences to Shirley's family and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, calling the shooting "absolutely heartbreaking and wholly unnecessary." Shields said there is limited information that can be released about the investigation, but she did say they "can say with a feeling of confidence that he was targeted, and he was ambushed." She said "it is just sickening."

A $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual who murdered the Jefferson County sheriff's deputy.

The FBI and ATF in Louisville are each contributing $25,000 to help track down a gunman "or possibly gunmen" that approached Shirley.

In Fairdale, before the sun set and vigil began, Angie Zurschmeide stopped by to leave her mark. Beside the wreaths and flowers, she placed a hand-painted flag dedicated to Shirley.

"Crushing," she said after. "I mean, he's a sweet guy. He was just doing his job for all of us, and it's just awful."

For Zurschmeide, it was a way to express the community's grief, a way to honor the deputy who had deep roots there and a way to show his family that this community now stands with them.

To the deputy's father, it's an unbelievable feeling.

Shirley Vigil 11pkg USE THIS ONE_frame_1739.jpeg — The father of fallen Deputy Brandon Shirley, Brian Shirley. (WDRB Photo)

"This means so much to myself and my wife and his brothers and the grandparents," Brian Shirley said. "Brandon was ... the best man I've ever met in my life, and I'm not saying that because he's my son. Because he was. You see the impact he had on people, and this was all the way through his life from the time he was born, you know, to the time he was gone. You know, the kid didn't have a bad bone in his body."

Once the fresh emotions and feelings of pain calm, Shirley hopes to start a foundation in his son's name to aide other families of fallen first responders.

"He'd say go get 'em dad," Shirley said of his son. "He'd say go get 'em."

Friday, as the vigil concluded and the friendly father embraced community members in a series of hearty hugs, he shared what his late son.

"I would tell my son I love him, and I'm extremely proud of him," he said, his voice trembling. "He's the best man I've ever met and that I was the proudest papa in the world. Proudest dad to be able to be the first person to hold him when he was born, and the proudest dad a day and a half ago to be the last person to hold him. And I let him know that he's the man. He's the man."

Related Stories: