Funeral services held for Hillsdale county deputy

Deputy William Butler Jr. was remembered as a family man and servant leader Wednesday at funeral services attended by hundreds of law enforcement officers and other first responders.

Butler died June 27 after being shot during a traffic stop. He was the first Hillsdale County deputy to die in the line of duty since the 1930s. He served a total of 12 years with the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Office.

First responders gathered with Butler’s family, friends and colleagues for a service at Hillsdale College’s Christ Chapel. They came from as far away as Arizona and included a delegation from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Afterward, the funeral procession featuring dozens of police vehicles, fire engines, ambulances and motorcycles headed through downtown Hillsdale under an American flag hung from a pair of fire engines’ aerial ladders.

At least 700 law enforcement officers attended the services, said Matthew Saxton, executive director of the Michigan Sheriff’s Association.