NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, today commemorated National Police Week and urged citizens of House District 69 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, D.C., on May 15.
“Police officers who have given their lives in pursuit of the safety and security of others deserve our honor and respect,” Barrett said. “National Police Week is about remembering these important lives and the incredible impact they had on their neighbors. I thank all of our men and women in blue for their selfless work and their families for their incredible support and sacrifice.”
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.
Barrett 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.
“Protecting our law enforcement officers is paramount to ensuring law and order in Tennessee,” Barrett said. “I was proud to co-sponsor the Back the Blue Act to help keep all police officers in the Volunteer State safe.”
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. Jody Barrett represents House District 69, which includes Hickman, Lewis and part of Dickson counties. He serves on the Commerce Committee, Finance, Ways and Means Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee, and the Banking and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee.
