Respond Like Jake 2nd Annual Deputy Pickett Remembrance Day Returns March 7 at the Boone County Fairgrounds Writer / Josh Brown Photography Provided by Remember this Photography & Snapshots by Sally Jane
March 2, 2018, is a day that will forever be remembered by Jennifer Pickett and all of Boone County. What started out as a routine arrest warrant being served by Lebanon Police officers, turned into a high-speed chase through the small town. The pursuit tragically ended with the death of Boone County Deputy Jacob Pickett, marking the first time in the department’s history that a deputy was shot and killed in the line of duty. Today, Jennifer is encouraging people to Respond Like Jake. That’s the mantra, the hashtag for the Jacob Pickett Response Organization, and it is a fitting one to honor the memory of the late Boone County Deputy. That challenge is one that Jennifer chose when she officially created the organization earlier this year because, she says, it embodies who her husband was. “Jake always helped out wherever he could,” Jennifer says. “I’ve had friends describe him as someone who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. My mom could call him and he’d go and change her tire. One time, my dad fell off a ladder and had to go to the ER. I was unavailable, but Jake was there with him for hours and helped him get home. He was
always picking dogs up off the side of the road and bringing them home, too, regardless of how many we already had.
the community.
Remembering Jake & Serving Others
“The first year of the event was all about sharing memories of Jake and who he was beyond the uniform,” Jennifer says. “Around the time last year that we were thinking about doing this event again and what the purpose of it would be, I heard the news about my friend, Amanda. I was immediately sad about it. But I thought to myself, ‘If Jake were here, he would drop everything to be there for Joe and their family.’ And my sadness deepened because Jake isn’t here. That’s when I decided to not only do the event again but start an organization that brings to life Jake’s legacy. Our mission is to help law enforcement families by assisting with financial tolls brought on by traumatic events and to help facilitate that support, monetary or not.”
Proceeds from this year’s event will support Amanda Farinella and the Farinella family. “He was selfless,” she adds. “He was a protector Amanda was diagnosed with stage four lung who loved deeply and cared about the people cancer last October. Her husband, Joe, is a in his life and would support them in any way deputy with the Tipton County Sheriff’s that he could. As husband and wife, we were a Department, and the Farinella family has team. We made decisions and faced the world always held a special place in Jake and together. He was someone I could count on.” Jennifer’s hearts.
Today, Jennifer, and all of Boone County, remember and celebrate Deputy Pickett’s life through the Deputy Jacob Pickett Remembrance Day. This year, the 2nd Annual event will be held once again at the Boone County Fairgrounds on March 7. The inaugural event in 2019 served as a memorial and a time for the Pickett family and the Boone County community to heal and gain some closure after such a senseless tragedy. This year, the event will continue to honor Deputy Pickett but will also be providing support for another family in need, as well as plenty of family-friendly events for
30 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / MARCH 2020 / BrownsburgMagazine.com
