The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has organized a GoFundMe to raise money for the Yates family. As of Wednesday afternoon, it has raised more than $36,000 and continues to see donations.
Wives of deputies and others at the sheriff’s office also are hosting a memorial walk on Friday at the Clark County Fairgrounds. The walk will begin at 5 p.m. in front of the sheriff’s office command post at the fairground’s youth building. The route will be led by a deputy and begin at the track where a moment of silence will be held, according to the sheriff’s office.
Beardman’s Full Bellies, a mobile food pantry, will be accepting donations for the Yates family during the second annual Jeep Cruise-In from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 6 at Young’s Jersey Dairy.
Other organizations and community members are honoring Yates’ legacy in other ways.
Clark State College is creating a scholarship fund in honor of the deputy. More details will be released about the scholarship, and the college also is looking into “additional opportunities” to honor Deputy Yates through the sheriff’s office and its police academy and criminal justice programs, said Crystal Jones, Clark State vice president of marketing, diversity and community impact.
Luke’s Wings, a national organization that provides emergency travel planning services and airline tickets for military serviceman, announced Wednesday it has provided 30 pre-approved complimentary flights, and booked two flights on behalf of the Yates’ family.
A memorial for Yates in Springfield City Plaza continues to grow, too. A sheriff’s cruiser was parked in the plaza on Monday, and law enforcement officers and community members have visited the memorial to pay their respects and leave small tokens of flower bouquets, stuffed animals, candles and other small trinkets on the hood of the cruiser.
Yates’ funeral visitation is 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the First Christian Church at 3638 Middle Urbana Road. His funeral service is at noon Monday at the church, with burial to follow at Ferncliff Cemetery, according to Littleton and Rue Funeral Home. Clark County offices are closing on Monday in recognition of the funeral service.
Yates was survived by his wife, Tracy, his mother, Lisa Yates, and father, Eugene (Felicia) Yates, who served with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office for 34 years; mother-in-law, Debra Reed; daughter A’kaylehana; two sons, Anthony (Kristina) Reed, and Andrew Reed; two sisters, Lisa McPherson, and Rochelle (Clarence) Smith; four brothers, Martin Yates, Anthony (Holly) Jeffrey, Stephen Humphrey, and Walter Ray; brothers-in-law, Christopher Reed, and Timothy (Heather) Reed; sister-in-law, Theresa (Sam) Reed, as well as a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and numerous friends, according to his obituary.
The identities of two others who died in the shooting and fire at 1132 Ashwood Drive on Sunday also were confirmed this week: Cole White, 27, of South Charleston, and his mother, Jodie Arbuckle, 47, of Springfield.
Another deputy was injured Sunday, but not by gunfire, during an attempt to rescue Yates, Burchett stated in a release. The special operations team member was taken to a local hospital and is now recovering at home.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
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