Deputy John Durm Memorial sign unveiled along I-74

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A one-mile stretch of Interstate 74 near the Action Road exit has been renamed in honor of Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy John Durm, to mark the first anniversary of his death in service.

Durm’s friends and family joined members of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday morning at Buck Creek Winery for the unveiling of the John Durm Memorial Mile interstate sign, according to a social media post from the MCSO.

Earlier this year, state senators approved resolutions for portions of two Indianapolis-area interstates to be renamed by the Indiana Department of Transportation to honor Deputy Durm and Indiana Metropolitan Police Department officer Brean Leath, both of whom lost their lives in the line of duty.

Deputy Durm died on July 10, 2023, when an inmate, identified as Orlando Mitchell, attacked him at the Criminal Justice Center. Mitchell took control of the MCSO van in an escape attempt and crashed nearby in the 3000 block of Prospect Street.

The MCSO additionally hosted a ceremony unveiling Durm’s official fallen deputy portrait, which will be placed alongside other deputies killed in the line of duty on Friday by the MCSO Honor Guard.

Sheriff Forestal issued a special order permanently retiring Durm’s badge number, 333.