LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As the rain fell on flags flying at half-mast Monday morning, the community mourned a killed deputy and Tommy Duffy mourned his mentee.
"I kind of took him under my wing a little bit," said Deputy Tom Duffy, as he welcomed new and familiar faces into the Hall of Justice.
For nearly two years, Duffy worked security at the courthouse entrance alongside fallen deputy Brandon Shirley. Now, the name from Shirley's mail slot is taped to the metal detector. A wreath made of flowers also sits at the entrance, acting as a reminder of the team's missing piece.
"It's a void. It's a void, you know I keep my mind off of it," Duffy said.
Duffy has served the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for 15 years, spending more than a decade with the Louisville Metro Police Department before that.
Monday marked seven days since the last time Duffy worked with Shirley. He said he's lost a lot of coworkers over the years, and this one brought him to tears, hitting close to home.
"As smart as he was, he could have done anything," Duffy said. "He could have been an engineer, he could have been a school teacher, he could have been a psychiatrist. But he chose to help people out. That's why he did four years in EMS and expanded to law enforcement...He just loved it. He loved helping people."
The man who loved helping people is now relying on help from others. Anyone with information leading to an arrest and conviction in Shirley's murder is asked to call the anonymous tip line at (502) 574-LMPD. A reward is set for $50,000.
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