Outpouring of support at Deputy Chief Waters’ visitation
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Community members and police showed up in droves Tuesday to support Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Jim Waters, who died after a car crash.
He died Thursday after a July 23 crash on Interstate 70.
Those who knew Waters described him as a family man. Strangers mattered to him as well. One friend said Waters made you feel like the most important person on Earth when he spoke to you because he genuinely cared.
Professionally, Waters had served on IMPD for 27 years. He started as an officer, then detective and worked his way up to second in command as deputy chief. Before Tuesday’s visitation, there was a private ceremony for IMPD and the Waters family at Crown Hill. During that emotional ceremony, an American flag was presented to the family.
WISH-TV spoke to former police chief Jerry Barker and his son Joshua Barker, who is the commander of the IMPD North District. They described Waters as a major force behind IMPD.
“The best I can describe him, Waters is a quiet mentor. He really took time. He has this incredible sense to develop and better people, everybody that was around him all the time,” Joshua Barker said.
Jerry Barker added, “You try to find some reason for this and you can’t find one. You can’t find the rational explanation for something like this happening.”
Visitation was scheduled to conclude at Crown Hill Cemetery at 8 Tuesday night.
Waters’ funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.