PINEVILLE — A grieving community gathered on the Pineville Courthouse lawn Monday afternoon in the honor and memory of Bell County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Pursifull and his K-9 partner King — who tragically lost their lives in the line of duty. Deputy Pursifull and King were killed on Jan. 10, 2008, after being struck by a vehicle driven by David Poppiti during a high speed chase.

Members of the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, the Bell County Fiscal Court and the Bell County Attorney’s Office organized the monument-revealing event and invited everyone within the community to attend the special day of honor. Many community members, local officials and police officers were in attendance on Monday to show appreciation and respect for the efforts of law enforcement. The commemorative event centered on the unveiling of a new memorial sculpture — which stands in the middle of the town — honoring all Kentucky K-9 Officers who have fallen in the line of duty.

Lieutenant Bill Kristofeck, the Louisville Metro Police Department's canine and mounted patrol commander, spoke at the event and paid tribute to all K-9 officers for their dedication. He recognized the special efforts put forth by them and discussed the purposes of the K-9 Unit. Kristofeck explained that the German Shepherd is one of the most widely-used breeds in working roles, and they are specifically trained in areas of cadaver searching, narcotics detection, and search and rescue. He stated that the breed is used in these lines of work because of their keen sense of smell and their ability to work regardless of distractions.

Artist and Kentucky native Jamie Corum spoke at the ceremony and expressed great appreciation to the people of Bell County for allowing her to take part in the project. Corum designed and created the monument, and she discussed the step-by-step process of constructing the sculpture. Corum explained that during the sculpture-making process, she found deep appreciation for the German Shepherd breed due to their loyal and protective nature.

Corum said that her recently acquired knowledge of the breed refined her vision for the monument. She stated that she wanted to capture the intelligence, nobility, natural beauty, strength and alertness of the breed in her sculpture.

“Symbolically, it’s just perfect,” said Corum in reference to the monument’s significance.

Bell County Judge-Executive Albey Brock also spoke at the event. He made clear the importance of the occasion, speaking much of honor and loyalty, and the idea of remembrance. He described the Pursifull death as a “tragedy on an immeasurable scale,” and stated that the tragedy was one of the most emotional and difficult things that he had ever experienced in his life.

Bell County Sheriff Bruce Bennett also recognized Deputy Sean Pursifull on Monday and paid tribute to him for his passion and loyalty. Bennett spoke about Pursifull’s undying commitment for his work and the contributions he made for the greater good of the community. Bennett paid his respects to the entire Pursifull family, recognizing each of them individually and honoring them with commemorative plaques.

At the end of the ceremony, Sheriff Bennett and Jamie Corum revealed the sculpture to the public. The memorial featured a tribute to Deputy Pursifull and a bronze sculpture depicting “King” as though he were protecting with his last breath.

Kentucky K-9 Officers conducted special demonstrations after the ceremony. Singer Mark Ross provided the music for the ceremony.

Adam Young is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. Contact him via e-mail at ayoung@middlesborodailynews.com.