LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved two measures sponsored by Sen. Joseph Bellino to honor Monroe County Sheriff Deputy Darrian Young and Hillsdale County Deputy Sheriff William Butler Jr.
Young died in 2020 at age 24 from injuries sustained in the line of duty when her marked Animal Control Division vehicle was hit by a drunken driver. Butler was killed in the line of duty at age 51 after being fatally shot while bravely assisting another officer during a traffic stop in June. Butler is the first Hillsdale County sheriff’s deputy to be killed on duty since 1930.
“These bills are about paying tribute to the service and sacrifices of Deputy Butler and Deputy Young — both of whom lost their lives protecting our communities,” said Bellino, R-Monroe. “Animal Control Officer Darrian Young was an enthusiastic public servant who loved animals, and Deputy Butler was a devoted husband, a loving father and a well-respected officer. They are both greatly missed in their communities, and these measures are a way for us to celebrate their lives and remember their sacrifices.”
Senate Bill 977 would designate a portion of Highway M-34 in Hillsdale County from Pioneer Road to South Pittsford Road as the “Deputy Sheriff William Butler Jr. Memorial Highway.”
Senate Bill 978 would designate a portion of Highway M-50 in Monroe County from South Raisinville Road to Herr Road as the “Animal Control Officer Darrian Young Memorial Highway.”
If the bills are signed into law, they would have no fiscal impact on state or local government. State law requires sufficient private contributions to completely cover the cost of erecting and maintaining markers indicating the name of a memorial highway.
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