Monroe County leaders planning memorial site for fallen deputy

CULLODEN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Monroe County leaders are planning on permanently paying to tribute to a fallen deputy. 

Residents are still healing from losing Deputy Michael Norris in the line of duty several months ago.

When you drive into Culloden, blue ribbons still line mailboxes heading into town. 

“There is a lot of emotional attachment to this incident and they want to be part of it, just like they did when it came to the funeral,” County Commission Chair, Mike Bilderback, said. 

They’ve been there for months, sever since Deputy Michael Norris was shot and killed responding to a call in September. 

Bilderback says the healing process has been slow, and that’s why he and all of the commissioners agreed there needed to be a memorial. 

“We just wanted to do this to obviously memorialize the sacrifice that was made,” he said. 

While the blue ribbon is nice, Monroe County leaders say they want to do more to honor Deputy Michael Norris. They want to put a memorial right here in a roundabout on highway 341 to pay tribute to the fallen deputy. 

 “It is in a traffic zone and this is the first time we’ve done anything like this,” Bilderback said. 

The county set aside $15,000 for the project. They’ve already submitted paperwork with the Georgia Department of Transportation. 

“That’s already a county responsibility. So once we get approval, then there shouldn’t be any other involvement from the D.O.T,” Bilderback said. 

He adds not a single shovel will hit the dirt unless the Norris family agrees with the project’s look. 

“The family is going to be the ones that actually approve this, continued on what the D.O.T’s regulations are,” Bilderback said. 

He says he wants the memorial to be a sign gratitude for a deputy that gave his life for the people he loved. 

The Monroe County community wants to participate as well. 

Bilderback says countless businesses want to contribute to the memorial. 

The county also has plans of renaming a section of highway 341 in honor of Deputy Michael Norris.