(From the Findlay Police Department)

In memory of fallen Bluffton Police Officer Dominic M. Francis, mourning bands will be worn all day by all sworn Findlay Police Officers on Monday, March 31, 2025 from 0001 hrs. until 1159 hrs.

Officer Dominic Francis was struck and killed by a vehicle while deploying spike strips near mile marker 142 on southbound I-75 at about 2:30 A.M. on March 31, 2022. Troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol had started pursuing the vehicle on State Route 15 after attempting a traffic stop. The vehicle fled onto I-75 and reached speeds exceeding 130 mph before striking Officer Francis. The three occupants of the vehicle then fled the scene on foot. All three were taken into custody over the next 10 hours. The driver was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Officer Francis served on the Findlay Police Department from September 5, 2006 to December 2, 2008 and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office before joining the Bluffton Police Department; where he served the community for eleven years.

Officer Francis had served in law enforcement for 19 years. He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

A stretch of I-75 that runs through Bluffton was renamed the Officer Dominic Francis Memorial Highway. Signs are located at mile marker 139 Northbound and 143 Southbound.