WILLIAMSBURG, Ohio — Fallen Clermont County Deputy Bill Brewer made a name for himself in high school as an athlete.
Now, Williamsburg's basketball players are honoring Brewer and doing their part in an effort to make sure that his wife and 5-year-old son have everything they need.
Brewer was shot and killed during a standoff at a Pierce Township apartment Saturday night. Prosecutors said the man inside faked shooting himself and ambushed Brewer and another deputy when they went inside to help.
Philip Peters is a former police officer who ran into Brewer on the job for years. Now he runs Remarkable Designs and is printing shirts honoring Brewer.
"He was in law enforcement strictly because of the service to others," Peters said of Brewer. "He didn’t have an agenda, he didn’t get into law enforcement for the power."
Now, Peters is concerned with how the community can help take care of Brewer's family. He's selling the shirts to raise money for the family.
"We're such a small-knit town, people come out of the woodwork to help each other," he said.
Peters also made warm-ups for Williamsburg basketball with a "thin blue line" flag and Brewer's initials. Brewer is in the school's hall of fame for his contributions to the team he made as a teen. Brewer's former coach, Jim Dyer, said he knew at the time that he had "a special person on (his) hands" with Brewer.
"He never got overly excited and he never got down, he was just very steady," Dyer said.
Peters said he's aiming to raise $10,000 to give to Brewer's wife. He's sold nearly 1,000 of the shirts so far.
That's not the only fundraiser going on. Some local schools have been holding events, including a spaghetti dinner fundraiser from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Williamsburg Middle/High.
Authorities said anyone interested in giving to Brewer's family can drop donations off at any Park National Bank under "The Bill Brewer Memorial Fund," or mail them to Park National Bank at 1187 Ohio Pike, Amelia, Ohio 45102.
Click here to purchase a shirt.
