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| Sgt. Jeff Shaw |
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Department Remembers Fallen Officer
Jen Gibson
Times-Union Staff Writer
Sgt. Jeff Shaw was known as a quiet family man.
Those who worked with him at the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department said he was dependable and devoted to his family.
Most who came in contact with him said he was kind, caring and respectful.
On Thursday afternoon, the dependable, quiet, devoted family man gave his life in the line of duty.
A lifetime Kosciusko County resident, Shaw grew up in the Atwood area. He attended Atwood Elementary School and Warsaw Community High School, and started his law enforcement career in Kosciusko County.
From 1992 to 1994, Shaw served as a reserve officer for the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, volunteering his time to serve the community. In July 1994, he took a position as a jailer in the work release program. Then in July 1998, he was hired as a merit deputy. Eleven years later, he had moved up to the position of sergeant of the Patrol Division of the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department. While serving at the sheriff's department, he was a member of the Kosciusko County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team.
In his years at the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, he took many new officers under his wing, showed them the ropes and then sent them out on their own.
"Jeff was really good at taking in the new guys," Deputy Mike Mulligan said. "Sometimes this department is hard to get into, especially for a new guy. Jeff never treated me that way. He was like a father figure. He would teach you what you needed to know and then he would let you go. He didn't hover over you, and he allowed you to earn his trust."
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"Jeff was a fun-loving guy," said Kosciusko County Sheriff Rocky Goshert. "When I first transferred over here from the state police, there was a call from over around Enchanted Hills. Jeff laughed when I said I would take it, knowing how confusing some of the roads were if you didn't know the area. I just got totally lost. Finally I came out on one road and there he sat, just laughing and said, 'It's hard to find 'em up here sometimes.' He had been hiding making sure I could find the place."
For a time, Shaw was a field training officer, helping officers new to the department acclimate and become accustomed to the ways of the sheriff's department.
"He was like 'Papa Bear,'" Mulligan said. "Like a dad, he would teach you and then let you loose to be on your own."
While he was willing to let guys find their own way, he was always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed it.
"He was a really good officer," said Sgt. Chad Hill, Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department. "No matter what the situation, he would be there to back you up 100 percent."
"Everything he did was very professional," said Goshert. "He never had to go back and rewrite his reports. He was very thorough.
"He would come in everyday and ask if there was anything special that needed done. No matter what it was, you could always count on him. He would make sure it got done. He was a second shift sergeant, and if I had anything that I needed done, all I had to do was tell him and it was finished and on my desk the next morning," Goshert said.
"No matter what you ever needed, he'd make sure you were taken care of," said Mulligan. "It may not always have been the biggest thing, but he was always there. He always took care of all the little things."
And Shaw always made sure to treat others with respect.
"He was very caring to the public," said Goshert. "He would go out of his way to help people. I never received a complaint about him. I did receive several letters thanking him for all he did."
Shaw will be remembered as a quiet officer who always seemed to get the job done, no matter what the task. He helped new officers and had the respect of seasoned veterans.
"He was always very level-headed," said Corp. Chris Rager. "He was the one who said, 'Let's just slow down and think this through. He was a firecracker by no means. He was definitely a balancing (factor). That's what made him such a good supervisor. He was the one who made sure everything was done."
"He was very quiet if you didn't know him," said Hill. "He was always quiet. He was always laid back, always even tempered. He never stressed much about anything."
Like most police squads, the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department is like a brotherhood. They tease each other, and give each other a hard time, but they always look out for one another.
"The thing about Jeff was that he never got too riled up about anything," Rager said. "He would always take it and then when the time was right, he'd give it right back. We would ride each other, but he never got too (angry)."
"When people say it's a brotherhood, that's really what it is," Mulligan said. "It's like losing a member of your family."
Shaw regularly made every effort to spend time with his wife, Angie, and his children, Nickolas, 9, and Isabella, 7. He took the children to school each morning, and many times he would pick them up in the evening.
"He always had time for his children," Rager said.
Since both children were active in sporting events, Shaw went to all their games, and sometimes even went to their practices.
"One thing I learned from Jeff was to put family first," Rager said. "He did not waste his time and he didn't take anything for granted. He always spent time with his family and he didn't want to miss anything. He was always there for his family."
"His priority in life was his family," HIll said. "When my wife and I went to (Washington), D.C., he was constantly on the phone with his kids. He would try to make time to see his kids' games, even when he was on duty. He was so family-oriented, he was a big family man. Family was first and his job was second."
"The main thing he enjoyed was spending time with his kids and staying home with his family," said Goshert.
While family was his top priority, Shaw liked watching sports, especially teams from Chicago. He was an avid Bears, Cubs and Blackhawks fan, and enjoyed racing, especially NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. He played fantasy football and fantasy NASCAR. In fact, his car had plain black rims instead of hubcaps because, according to Hill, "he liked the NASCAR-look of the black."
Shaw also was active in service organizations. He was a member and past vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police 149, Masonic Lodge 73 and the Fort Wayne Scottish Rite.
Just a few years ago, Shaw felt the pain of losing a comrade when his close friend, State Trooper Jason Beall, was killed in an accident on Ind. 14, just miles from the accident that took Shaw's life Thursday.
"He was very close with (late Indiana State Trooper) Jason Beall, who was killed in an accident on Ind. 14 in January 2000," Hill said. "Emily Beall (Jason's widow) came up here (Thursday) night to be with Angie. She was going to help Angie make arrangements for the funeral."
Thursday afternoon, Shaw's fellow officers felt similar pain when they responded to Shaw's accident.
"(Going to the accident scene) was the hardest thing I've ever done," Mulligan said. "Jeff and I both were on the FACT team and we'd go to a lot of crashes. When we go to the scene, we never think of it as somebody's dad or somebody's brother. You can't deal with it that way.
"I have never stopped dead at a crash scene like I did at that (Thursday). I couldn't get closer (to the vehicle). I just couldn't do it.
"I never ever ever thought anything would happen to Jeff," Rager said, adding, "I find refuge in the fact that we will see him again."
Mulligan added, "When I come to work, he will still be with me."
Shaw's obituary, including visitation and service times, appears on page 3A.
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