Fallen Officers Remembered
We honor our heroes who have fallen. These men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving the public and upholding the law, and their families, will be remembered.
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Police Officer Scotty Triplett
End of Watch Saturday, May 22, 2021
Police Officer Scotty Triplett was killed in a motorcycle crash while he and other officers performed an escort along Hickory Hill Road at about 4:45 pm.
He was traveling northbound when an oncoming car disregarded his emergency equipment and turned left in front of him at the intersection with Swaying Pine Lane, causing a collision. Officer Triplett was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Officer Triplett had served with the Memphis Police Department for 27 years. He is survived by his wife and two children.
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Deputy Sheriff Terry Dyer
End of Watch Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Deputy Sheriff Terry Dyer suffered a fatal heart attack after responding to a domestic violence call at a local church two days earlier.
He collapsed while appearing in a General Sessions Court criminal case. He received immediate medical attention and was transported to Jackson General Hospital where he passed away.
Deputy Dyer was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office for three years and had previously served with the Jackson Police Department for 30 years. He is survived by his two children.
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WARRANTS OFFICER TOBY KEISER
End of Watch Monday, January 18, 2021
Warrants Officer Toby Keiser died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Officer Keiser was a veteran of both the U.S. Navy and Army National Guard. He had served with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office for 28 years. He is survived by his wife and four children.
Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic due to requirements of their job. Many of these first responders have died as a result of COVID-19, and continue to do so as the virus spreads across the United States.
POLICE OFFICER DESTIN LEGIEZA
End of Watch Thursday, June 18, 2020
Police Officer Destin Legieza was killed in a vehicle crash on Franklin Road between Murray Lane to Concord Road shortly before 6:00 am.
A vehicle traveling in the opposite direction crossed the center line and struck Officer Legieza’s patrol SUV head-on. The other driver sustained non-life threatening injuries.
Officer Legieza had served with the Brentwood Police Department for five years and was a third-generation law enforcement officer. He is survived by his wife.
Master Patrol Officer Spencer Bristol
End of Watch Monday, December 30, 2019
Master Patrol Officer Spencer Bristol was struck and killed by a vehicle while involved in a foot pursuit of a subject across I-65 near Vietnam Veterans Boulevard in Davidson County.
Officers had started pursuing a vehicle with two occupants in Hendersonville. The pursuit continued through Goodlettsville until crashing at the interchange. One of the subjects was taken into custody but the second man fled on foot. Officer Spencer was fatally struck by a vehicle as they ran across I-65.
The subject he was chasing continued to flee and remains at large. The subject who was arrested at the scene was charged with reckless endangerment and felony evading.
Officer Spencer was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Hendersonville Police Department for four years. He is survived by his wife and 3-year-old daughter.
Deputy Sheriff Stephen Reece
End of Watch Friday, November 15, 2019
Deputy Sheriff Stephen Reece was killed in a vehicle crash at the intersection of Oak Plains Road and Route 41A South, in Montgomery County, at 2:15 pm.
His patrol car was struck as it entered the highway.
Deputy Reece was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of Operation Desert Storm and had served in law enforcement for 24 years. He is survived by his wife, two children, and three siblings.
CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATOR DEBRA JOHNSON
End of Watch Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Correctional Administrator Debra Johnson was found murdered in her residence on the grounds of the West Tennessee State Penitentiary on August 7th, 2019.
She was attacked by an inmate who then escaped from the facility using a tractor. The escapee, who was serving a sentence for aggravated kidnapping and rape, remained at large for five days before being taken into custody. He was charged with first-degree murder, burglary, aggravated sexual assault, and escape.
Administrator Johnson had served with the Tennessee Department of Correction for 38 years and started her career as a correctional officer.
POLICE OFFICER JOHN RALPH ANDERSON, IV
End of Watch Thursday, July 4, 2019
Police Officer John Anderson was killed in a vehicle crash at the intersection of Woodland Street and Interstate Drive.
The vehicle that struck him had just fled from other officers who attempted to make a traffic stop on it. The officer terminated the stop when the vehicle fled and did not pursue it. Officer Anderson was en route to assist on an unrelated call involving a pedestrian on the interstate when the fleeing vehicle ran a red light and struck his patrol car.
Officer Anderson’s patrol car became engulfed in flames. The passenger in the fleeing vehicle suffered life-threatening injuries. The juvenile driver of the vehicle suffered minor injuries and was charged with vehicular homicide.
Officer Anderson was a U.S Marine Corps Reserve veteran and had served with the Metro Nashville Police Department for four years and was assigned to the Central Precinct.
TROOPER MATTHEW ELIAS GATTI
End of Watch Monday, May 6, 2019
Trooper Matthew Gatti was killed when his patrol car collided with two tractor-trailers on I-40 near mile marker 74 in Madison County.
The incident occurred at approximately 3:45 pm as Trooper Gatti was responding to a car fire. His patrol car struck the rear of one semi before spinning into the second one.
Trooper Gatti had served with the Tennessee Highway Patrol for 11 months. Prior to that, he served as a corrections officer at the Madison County Criminal Justice Complex before applying to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Trooper Gatti is survived by his wife, his parents, and his three younger teenage siblings.
SERGEANT STEVE HINKLE
End of Watch Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Sergeant Steve Hinkle succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained three days earlier at 3606 Highway 11W.
Deputies had responded to the residence to conduct a welfare check on an occupant. As they approached the home the occupant opened fire on them, causing them to seek cover. As the deputies attempted to establish communication with the man he opened fire a second time, striking Sergeant Hinkle during the exchange of gunfire.
The subject was found deceased inside the home several hours later.
Sergeant Hinkle was transported to the hospital where he died as a result of his wounds on February 26th, 2019.
Sergeant Hinkle had served with the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office for 27 years.
POLICE OFFICER NICHOLAS SCOTT GALINGER
End of Watch Sunday, February 24, 2019
Police Officer Nicholas Galinger was struck and killed by a vehicle in the 2900 block of Hamill Road at 11:00 pm.
He was checking a manhole cover that had water overflowing from it when he was struck. Officer Galinger was transported to a local hospital where he died a short time later.
The vehicle fled the scene after striking him. The driver turned herself in two days later after being added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Top Ten Most Wanted List. She was charged with vehicular homicide.
Officer Galinger had just graduated from the police academy in January 2019 and was in field training. He is survived by his son, daughter, parents, two sisters, two brothers, two grandmothers and other relatives.
Deputy Sheriff Jimmy Dwight Tennyson
End of Watch Saturday, May 6, 2017
Deputy Sheriff Jimmy Tennyson succumbed to injuries sustained in a single vehicle crash the previous morning at approximately 7:30 am.
He was en route to a local high school when his patrol car left the roadway on Iron Bridge Road, near Running Deer Drive, in Columbia. The vehicle went down an embankment and struck a group of trees. He was transported to a local hospital before being transferred to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He succumbed to his injuries on May 6th, 2017.
Deputy Tennyson had served in law enforcement for 30 years and was assigned as a school resource officer. He is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.
Deputy Sheriff Darrell James Perrit
End of Watch Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Deputy Sheriff Darrell Perritt was killed in a vehicle crash while assisting another deputy who was in pursuit of a DUI suspect shortly after 3:00 am.
His patrol car left the roadway on Clara Mathis Road, near Blackburn Lane in Spring Hill, and and struck a tree on the driver’s side. Deputy Perritt was killed instantly.
The driver continued to flee but crashed a short time later. She was flown to a hospital and subsequently charged with DUI and several other charges related to the accident and fleeing from law enforcement. She was not charged directly in connection with Deputy Perritt’s death.
Deputy Perritt had served as a full time deputy with the Maury County Sheriff’s Department for three months and had previously served as a reserve deputy for two years. He is survived by his wife and three children.
CORPORAL JEREMY CALEB MCLAREN
End of Watch Sunday, February 7, 2010
Corporal Jeremy McLaren succumbed to injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Columbia two days earlier.
He was returning to Spring Hill from the Maury County Jail at approximately 6:30 pm when the driver of a pickup truck ran a red light and struck his patrol car.
Corporal McLaren had served with the Spring Hill Police Department for three years. He is survived by his parents and four siblings.
TROOPER CALVIN WAYNE JENKS
End of Watch Saturday, January 6, 2007
Trooper Calvin Jenks was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop near the intersection of Highways 14 and 54 in Tipton County.
During the stop, Trooper Jenks smelled marijuana from the vehicle and was told by the driver that there were drugs in the center console. When he asked the passenger if he had any drugs, the man produced a handgun and opened fire, striking Trooper Jenks once in the head and once in the body.
Both men fled the scene but were arrested 13 hours later in Nashville, approximately 200 miles from where the shooting occurred. In December 2007, one suspect was found guilty of the facilitation of first degree murder and was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. The second shooter also received a life sentence in June 2008.
Trooper Jenks’ body was found next to his patrol car by two hunters who were in the area. His patrol car’s video camera recorded the entire incident.
Trooper Jenks had served with the Tennessee Highway Patrol for almost 3 years. He is survived by his wife, parents, four brothers, a sister, grandparents and a large extended family.
POLICE OFFICER ALAN MATTHEW RAGSDALE
End of Watch Monday, November 27, 2000
Officer Ragsdale was shot and killed while responding to a silent burglary alarm at a local motorcycle dealership.
Officer Ragsdale had parked his cruiser in the rear of the building and had walked around the entire building to verify all of the doors were secured. As he walked passed the store front he spotted the suspect who immediately fired three shots, striking Officer Ragsdale once. The round struck him in the armpit area where his vest did not offer protection. Officer Ragsdale was flown to a Nashville hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The 18-year-old suspect fled the scene when other officers arrived, but was captured later in the day and charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and burglary. On August 23, 2002, the suspect plead guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Officer Ragsdale had been an officer with the 12-officer Hohenwald Police Department for 18 months, and is survived by his wife, son, and two stepchildren.