Kokomo, IN – MAY 18, 2016 – As part of the Telmate Fallen Heroes Week, Telmate will honor fallen Deputy Sheriff Carl A. Koontz of Howard County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana, in support of National Police Week. Koontz is one of five fallen officers being honored by Telmate, from five regions of the U.S. during the weeklong memorial.
Telmate representatives and local law enforcement officials will gather at 5:30 p.m. at the Howard County Sheriff’s Office to give a Telmate Fallen Heroes award and donation to the Deputy Carl Koontz Memorial Scholarship. Kassandra (“Kassie”) Koontz, Deputy Koontz’s wife, said the scholarship has been established to help one male and female recipient attend the college of their choice.
Around 12:30 a.m. on March 20, 2016, Deputy Koontz and his fellow deputies served a search warrant in connection to a narcotics case. When the deputies entered the home the subject opened fire on Koontz and a sheriff’s sergeant. Both were transported to a local hospital where the deputy succumbed to his injuries.
The 27-year-old served two years with Howard County Sheriff’s Office but he was more than just a police officer. Known for his dedicated approach to life, Koontz also worked part-time as a liaison officer at Northwestern High School where he was a highly admired role model to the students.
“He had a reputation of helping others and was very involved with his community,” said Kassie, “which is why it was important to me that his scholarship criteria incorporate both Carl and our nine-month-old son Noah.” The deputy’s badge number was 76, so scholarship recipients will have to complete 76 hours of community service and write an essay: “What does the word community mean to you?” Each scholarship recipient will be awarded $807, the number representing Noah’s birth date.
It takes a special person to become a police officer and Kassie believes her husband met all the characteristics of being a hero. “A hero never gives up and Carl was a fighter until the end,” she said.
Outside of his law enforcement duties, Deputy Koontz was a committed family man who enjoyed the outdoors and spending time with his wife, son and their German Shepherd.
The Telmate Fallen Heroes Program is part of the company’s community outreach program called Telmate Cares. Every month, nominees are presented to a committee and one individual or organization is selected to receive a scholarship/donation to support families of fallen officers or organizations selected by those families.
For more information about Telmate’s Fallen Heroes program visit telmate.com/fallen-heroes.
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About Telmate:
Telmate is a leading provider of secure corrections and community corrections solutions including phone, tablet, visitation, messaging, education and entertainment content, corrections applications, investigator tools and GPS monitoring. Telmate’s cutting-edge platforms are deployed in over 300 correctional facilities in the U.S. and Canada. Telmate is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with employee presence nationwide. To find out more about Telmate, visit www.telmate.com.
