State Rep. Greg Vital, R-Harrison, today commemorated National Police Week and urged Hamilton County residents to honor and remember law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends, and fellow officers they left behind.
The names of 282 officers killed in the line of duty will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. on May 15.
“Tennessee depends on the brave members of our law enforcement community to keep us safe,” Vital said. “It is important that we always honor their service and sacrifice to our state.”
Seven fallen officers are from Tennessee and include Sgt. James Russ, Chattanooga Police Dept; Deputy Tucker Blakely, Knox County Sheriff’s Office; Sgt. William Cherry, Macon County Sheriff’s Office; Deputy Shannon Lang Sr., Marion County Police Dept.; Officer Geoffrey Redd, Memphis Police Dept., and Chief Christopher Cummings, Samburg Police Dept. Town Marshal Thomas Neely, Middleton Police Dept. was killed in the line of duty in 1899.
Vital and his Republican colleagues took steps this year to strengthen laws to protect police officers against assault with the Back the Blue Act.
The new law, which goes into effect July 1, offers additional protections that will enhance the penalty for assault against a law enforcement officer from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony punishable by a mandatory minimum 60-day sentence and a $10,000 fine.
“I was proud to help pass this new law, which represents the Volunteer State’s commitment to protecting those who keep our communities safe,” Vital said. “We must always back the blue and support all of our dedicated first responders statewide.”
In Tennessee, assaulting a first responder, including nurses, firefighters, and emergency services personnel, is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by 30 days in jail and a $5,000 fine. Assault includes knowingly causing bodily injury or knowingly causing offensive physical contact, including spitting, throwing or transferring bodily fluids, human pathogens or waste onto a first responder.
There were 1,603 simple assaults on law enforcement officers last year in Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Sixty police officers across Tennessee have died in the line of duty since 2019, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a non-profit dedicated to honoring fallen officers across the United States.
State Rep. Greg Vital represents House District 29, which includes part of Hamilton County. He serves as vice chairman of the Transportation Committee and is also a member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, Commerce Committee, Business and Utilities Subcommittee and the Transportation Subcommittee.
