Slain Trooper Aaron Smith, a 'humble servant' laid to rest

By the age of six, Aaron Smith knew he wanted to be a police officer.

He wrote as much in a book next to a scribbled stick figure. He wanted to follow his dad’s footsteps, he wrote.

Smith ultimately followed that dream years later by becoming a trooper with Indiana State Police in the Indianapolis area. He served for five years before his time fulfilling his childhood ambition was cut short on June 28 when he tried to place stop sticks on Ronald Reagan Parkway to halt a fleeing driver who swerved and struck him.

Smith, 33, died shortly after.

Police officers and troopers near and far gathered Friday at Emmanuel Church in Greenwood to honor the slain trooper. Many spoke of his dedication to service while noting he served his community even when he wasn’t wearing the badge.

“Trooper Smith earned our eternal gratitude,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said. “Learning about Aaron’s upbringing, he seemed to be one of us. But there was just something extra special.”

Smith’s uncle in a letter read during the service said three words come to mind when describing the slain trooper —Humble. Servant. Hero.

As an officer, Smith lived out those words every day as part of the State Police’s Crash Reconstruction Team. Twice he received life-saving awards for helping people who had gotten shot.

His family said they wouldn’t have known about his awards had they not seen them on the internet. When asked why he didn’t tell anyone about the accolades, Smith simply replied he was “just doing my job,” his cousin, Christopher Marlin, recalled.

Marlin said he and Smith’s wife quipped recently that if Smith could see the outpouring of support and attention he’s garnered following his death, “he would’ve hated it.”

Smith, despite his heroism, preferred to be a humble servant, Marlin explained.

On top of his job as a trooper, Smith joined the Indiana National Guard in 2011 and achieved the rank of sergeant. There, he earned numerous awards as well.

His passion for service extended to his personal life, his family said. He and his wife regularly volunteered in the children’s ministry at Emmanuel Church. Most recently, when tornadoes twice hit his hometown in Johnson County, he jumped at the opportunity to help clean up debris.

He loved flying drones, smoking brisket, hunting and spending time with family and friends, his obituary reads.

Near Smith’s casket draped with a U.S. flag, Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter at the podium recalled the sadness among the nurses, troopers and Smith’s family at the hospital sally port the night of Smith’s death. Carter, a longtime policeman, said a scene that unfolded in the hospital emergency room was one of the most beautiful, yet gut-wrenching, experiences of his life. In the hospital room, Smith’s family continued to not only pray for the trooper’s life, but also those surrounding them.

“Every single time a prayer was said … every single time, they included us,” Carter said, referring to State Police. “I can’t tell you what that meant.”

Carter said the family’s strength in that moment came from their belief that Smith is in a better place.

Memorial contributions to support Smith’s family can be made at any Indiana Members Credit Union branch. Donations can be mailed to the Indiana Fallen Heroes Foundation at 1710 S. 10^th St. In Noblesville.

Donations also can be made online here.

How to help: Donation funds for slain Indiana State Trooper Aaron Smith

Contact the reporter at 317-503-7514

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Slain Trooper Aaron Smith, a 'humble servant' laid to rest at funeral