State Rep. Michael Hale, R-Smithville, today commemorated National Police Week and urged local 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.
“The brave men and women of our law enforcement community work diligently every day to keep us safe,” Hale said. “We must never forget their sacrifices and the incredibly difficult work they do to protect Tennesseans from harm.”
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.
Hale 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.
“There should be significant consequences for anyone who assaults a member of law enforcement in Tennessee,” Hale said. “I am proud of this new law, and remain committed to supporting all the dedicated first responders we have in Tennessee.”
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. Michael Hale represents House District 40, which includes Cannon, DeKalb, Jackson, Smith and part of Wilson counties.
