Blue Porch Lights Are Going up by the Thousands. Here’s What They Mean

Thousands of blue porch lights are going up around the United States, led by an effort in Kentucky.

The movement started in support of police after an officer, 33-year-old Daniel Ellis, was shot in the head while looking for a robbery suspect in Richmond.

Ellis was rushed to the hospital but soon succumbed to his injuries.

He left behind a wife and four-year-old son, reported the Associated Press.

The suspect is 34-year-old Raleigh Sizemore Jr., an ex-convict.

In remembrance of Officer Ellis’ service to the community, the Bluegrass Ace Hardware store is giving away 2,000 blue lightbulbs from November 9 through November 11.

Karen Prewitt, who owns the store with her husband, told IJ Review that they wanted to do more then just write a check to help support Ellis’ widow through this trying time. 

“We decided to check with our warehouse in Princeton, Illinois to see how many blue lightbulbs they had available that we could purchase. They had enough that it would make an impact on the community,” she said.

“This lets the community feel like they could be involved to show support for the local, county, and state law enforcement.”

This week, residents will see blue lights around the town in a movement that could very well spread across the nation in support of police officers doing their duty. Indeed, some residents took initiative and bought their own lights and started turning them on days ago.

The Richmond mayor also said he’s working on gathering money for the family Ellis left behind.

Zachary Stieber

Reporter

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Zachary Stieber covers U.S. and world news. He is based in Maryland.