Drivers passing by the intersection at Taylor and US-31 might have noticed the flashing lights of a police cruiser parked in the median on Friday, Dec. 13. The cruiser was placed near the memorial of Officer Scott Flahive, who was killed in the line of duty 30 years prior.

While the officers who worked with Flahive have since retired, they made sure that his legacy would continue to be honored for years to come. The parked police car is an annual way for the department to recognize the day.

“We knew at some point there wouldn’t be anybody here that had worked with him and we wanted to make sure (the memory) stayed alive,” Lieutenant Ryan Enlow said.

Over the past 30 years, the way the department remembers Officer Flahive has grown. A permanent stone memorial was installed seven or eight years ago at the front of the department’s building.

The memorial helps preserve the memory of his tragic death back in 1994. While several outlets have reported the story differently, Flahive’s death was not immediate; instead, he bled out after being shot in his femoral artery. Paramedics tried to stop the bleeding, but Officer Flahive was later declared dead after being taken from the scene.

Along with the cruiser and the stone memorial, a memorial service is held with an honor guard, officers in their Class-A uniforms and visits from other law enforcement in the state who had worked with Flahive. The service is open to the public, with Officer Flahive’s relatives often visiting.

“These memorials make you reflect and remind you to not take life for granted,” Student Resource Officer Deputy Zach Martinie said. “Personally, when I’m at these services, I feel very grateful to be here — grateful to be alive, grateful to be able to have this job, grateful to have a family.”