"Send It": Friend Shares Late Police Chief's Advice During Emotional Farewell

Listen to audio of Rising Sun Chief of Police David Hewitt's final call.

Rising Sun Chief of Police David Hewitt died in a vehicle crash on Wednesday, February 13. His funeral was held at Rising Sun High School on Wednesday, February 20. Photo provided.

(Rising Sun, Ind.) – Rising Sun Chief of Police David Hewitt will be remembered as a loyal and dedicated father, husband, hunter, and public servant.

Those who knew him best made it clear that he earned the ideal meaning of each of those titles.

Amid his family, friends, and neighbors, more than 100 law enforcement officers from across Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky came to pay their final respects to Hewitt during his funeral held in Rising Sun High School’s gymnasium on a rainy Wednesday.

Hewitt died following a single vehicle crash on State Road 56 not far from his home in Switzerland County on Wednesday, February 13. He was on his way from his wife’s horse farm to the Rising Sun Police Department to start another day protecting the city where he served as a police officer since 1998.

“We lost an important part of our city way too early,” Mayor Brent Bascom said. “Thank you for being the leader our community deserved.”

Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle Country 99.3.

As much as he was a police officer, the 49-year-old was also a lover of the outdoors, particularly hunting with traditional bows in the woods of southeastern Indiana.

He and friend Kenney Davenport are board members of the Compton Traditional Bowhunters Club. Davenport related a story of how he and David would swap text messages as they hunted. When a friend sent a photo of a deer coming into range, David would text back “Send it!”

“’Send it’ means to take the shot,” said Davenport. “Take the risk to lead. Tell someone how you feel about them. Tell the truth no matter what. Just take it with whatever you got. Take whatever gift God gave you and send it back into the universe. ’Send it’ is simple, poignant, good advice from my friend and it is how he lived his life.”

Davenport said Hewitt’s daughter Olivia and son Drew are responsible, ethical hunters today thanks to the values he instilled in them. The children shared how they often bonded with their father while hunting or working around the family property.

Olivia called him her loyal hunting partner. “I am so proud to be David Hewitt’s daughter.”

After reading one of his father’s blog posts about his upbringing, Drew shared how traditional bow hunting became their shared passion.

“I cherished these moments with my old man. It was the glue that held us together.”

Local 12 WKRC provided video coverage of Rising Sun Chief of Police David Hewitt's funeral service.

Step-son John Taylor spoke of David re-entering his mother’s life almost 30 years after they had gone to Rising Sun High School together. David and Donna Hewitt had only married in 2017, but his tragically shortened reintroduction in their lives brought much-needed good times.

“David was a balancing force in my life, and my mom’s, too,” Taylor told the crowd. “In truth, I would not have the sense of family I have today without him.”

Steve Slack, a friend of David’s since childhood, delivered the eulogy. The friendship they shared will be cherished forever, he said.

Just before John Mellencamp’s “Small Town” played to a video of Rising Sun’s messages thanking Hewitt for his service, Rev. Mike Jones of Patriot Baptist Church remarked on the work David put into making Rising Sun a better, safer place.

“His loyalty to this small part of the world was unrivaled,” Jones concluded.

The flood of emotions through the service reached its peak when Hewitt’s final call was broadcast by Ohio County Communications. Many who were gathered in the gymnasium could no longer hide their grief. Listen to the final call in the audio player below:

Hewitt’s send-off also included a 21-gun salute, the playing of Taps, retiring of the colors, and presentation of the flag to David’s widow. Lt. Bryan Wolfe of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department and his keyboard provided the fitting soundtrack during the service.

Before processing out, each of the law enforcement officers in attendance laid a flower at the casket.

The Hewitt family has asked that memorial donations be made to Compton Traditional Bowhunters, PO Box 50, Mahomet, IL 61853, or at www.comptontraditionalbowhunters.com.

Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle Country 99.3.

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