MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: MAY 5, 2021
AGENCY: SEDGWICK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
LOCATION: WICHITA/SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS
TELEPHONE: (316) 660-3900
CONTACT: LIEUTENANT BENJAMIN BLICK
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office will honor the memory and sacrifice of Deputy Benjamin Franklin Hill with a dedication ceremony on May 9, 2021, at 1:00 P.M. at the Highland Cemetery, 1005 N Hillside Avenue.
Last year, during Police Week, members of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office traveled to the gravesites of our fallen deputies to place wreaths in honor of their service and ultimate sacrifice. During this process, we discovered Deputy Hill’s gravesite did not have a headstone to mark his final resting place. Active and retired law enforcement officers, the Greater Wichita Ministerial League and the Honore Adversis Foundation have since donated the required funds to purchase a headstone for Deputy Hill.
Benjamin Franklin Hill, commonly known as Frank Hill, was born on May 9, 1876 and killed in the line of duty on August 16, 1927 during an attempted jailbreak at the Sedgwick County Historical Courthouse. He was survived by his wife, Lulu Hill, and his daughter, Lucia Hill, who was six years old at the time of his death. Prior to his service with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Frank Hill was a Lieutenant with the Wichita Fire Department. Frank Hill is the only African American deputy killed in the line of duty with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.
Please join us in remembering one of our fallen deputies as we hold a ceremony at his gravesite to dedicate this headstone to him and his family.
M – O – R – E
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