LANSING, Mich. — Two measures sponsored by Sen. Joseph Bellino to honor Monroe County Sheriff Deputy Darrian Young and Hillsdale County Deputy Sheriff William Butler Jr. were approved by the Senate Veterans and Emergency Services Committee on Wednesday.
“This is about honoring the lives of Deputy Young and Deputy Butler — who both made the ultimate sacrifice while serving 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. It is time we recognize their dedication and the loss of these two outstanding deputies.”
Senate Bill 69 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.”
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.
Senate Bill 70 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.”
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 2024. Butler was the first Hillsdale County sheriff’s deputy to be killed on duty since 1930.
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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Editor’s note: The above photograph is available by clicking on the image or by visiting www.SenatorJosephBellino.com/photos.
Photo caption: Sen. Joseph Bellino, R-Monroe, and Sen. Jonathan Lindsey, R-Coldwater, testify in support of Bellino’s bill to designate a portion of Highway M-34 in Hillsdale County as the “Deputy Sheriff William Butler Jr. Memorial Highway.” Butler was killed in the line of duty in 2024 after being fatally shot while assisting another officer during a traffic stop. He was the first Hillsdale County sheriff’s deputy to be killed on duty since 1930.
