CINCINNATI -- A stretch of highway driven by thousands of people now serves as a permanent reminder of Cincinnati Police Officer Sonny Kim and his service to the community.
City and state leaders presented the Officer Sonny L. Kim Memorial Highway Wednesday.
"Sonny gave his life for his fellow man and his legacy will live, his spirit will live on," said State Sen. Cecil Thomas during a dedication ceremony at the Madisonville Recreation Center.
The tribute to Kim includes the northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 71 between the Dana Avenue exit and the Montgomery Road exit.
The dedication comes after State representatives Brigid Kelly and Jonathan Dever helped craft House Bill 347.
"He made our community stronger, safer," Dever said. "He was a man who everyone knew. Everyone who met him enjoyed his presence. Everyone who knew him was better off for it."
Kim was shot and killed the morning of June 19, 2015. He was called to the scene of a man "walking around, getting belligerent with a gun." It turned out he'd been purposely lured to the corner of Whetsel Avenue and Roe Street in Madisonville, where TrePierre Hummons, 21, shot and killed him. Hummons was shot and killed by Officer Tom Sandmann in a gunfight.
Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said the highway sign will forever pay homage to a true American hero.
"It will be a daily reminder to all of us who loved Sonny so much to see that reminder," Isaac said.
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Kim was a loving husband and father, and he was a respected figure in the community. He ran a karate dojo in Symmes Township, where he mentored kids.
