Officers honored at banquet
Communities across the country are celebrating law enforcement officials and the sacrifices they make during National Police Memorial Week and Franklin County is no exception.
To kick off this week’s focus on remembering fallen officers and honoring those who still serve, all the law enforcement agencies in the county came together this past Friday night for a banquet at the A. W. Todd Centre in downtown Russellville.
Representatives from the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Russellville, Red Bay, Phil Campbell and Hodges police departments all gathered to remember why they serve, who they serve, the importance of what they do for their communities and the ones who have given the ultimate sacrifice while wearing their blue uniform.
RPD Capt. Mike Prince organized the event and said he thought it would be an appropriate way to start off the week.
“With this being National Police Memorial Week, I really wanted to do something that would honor the fallen officers,” he said. “DA Investigator Terry Zills and myself used to be part of the state police honor guard and we went to Washington, D.C. every year during this week. The services were very moving – just to see the respect that was paid to the officers and their families – and I wanted to bring a part of that back here.”
In its history, Franklin County has only had two officers who died in the line of duty – Deputy Sheriff D. E. Tidwell, whose end of watch was July 23, 1929; and Phil Campbell Police Chief Benjamin Marshall Holder, whose end of watch was June 26, 1984.
Sheriff Shannon Oliver spoke about Deputy Sheriff Tidwell, who succumbed to gunshot wounds he received on July 20, 1929, after he and another deputy attempted to help three men whose car had ran out of gas.
When the men realized that two police officers were stopping to help them, they opened fire and tried to dispose of the moonshine they had in their possession.
Deputy Sheriff Tidwell was struck in the abdomen and in the face and died three days later in the hospital. He was only 39 years old.
“When you see how many officers are killed each year in the line of duty, the numbers are alarming,” Oliver said. “I see the deputies come and go from our office and I take for granted the fact that everyone will be ok and they’ll all come back from their shifts, but the truth is, that doesn’t always happen. And that’s just something you never want to see.”
Phil Campbell Police Chief Merrell Potter spoke about the loss of former PC Police Chief Benjamin Marshall Holder, who died from a heart attack he sustained while trying to make an arrest on June 26, 1984.
Potter said Holder received a call that an intoxicated person was outside the Chat ‘N’ Chew in downtown Phil Campbell. When Holder arrived on the scene he attempted to take the man into custody but a struggle ensued. Holder had a heart attack trying to make the arrest. He was 56 years old.
“I think the saddest announcement I would ever have to make would be to say one of my officers was killed in the line of duty,” Potter said. “We are blessed in comparison to other counties close by who have lost more officers, but even the loss of one officer is one too many.”
Potter said the loss of an officer is something he takes very seriously, especially considering one of the two line-of-duty deaths in Franklin County came from his town.
“I’m now walking in the tracks where [Chief Holder] walked,” Potter said. “He gave his life to protect the citizens of the town I’m now trying to protect. It’s a sobering thought because you never know who will end their watch next.”
The job of a police officer is most definitely a difficult one, which is why Prince thought it would be appropriate to also honor those in the county who actively serve in law enforcement positions.
“I think it’s important to let currently serving officers and their families know how important and dangerous their job is,” he said, “and to recognize officers who go above what’s expected of them.”
Several different agencies gave out departmental awards including Russellville Police Department, Red Bay Police Department and Hodges Police Department.
RPD awards included: Citizenship Award (presented to citizens who helped with distribution and recovery efforts after the April 27 tornado disaster) – Ladonna Jones, Tamira Edwards, Dick Tutich, Bill Floyd and Terry Moore; Chief’s Distinguished Service Award – Sgt. Jake Tompkins, Mike Miller, Chelsea Torbert, Ken Shannon, Lt. Scotty Lowery, Sgt. Joe Hargett and Lt. Jeff Michael; Physical Fitness Award (for maintaining APOST fitness standards) – Lt. Scotty Lowery, Sgt. Jake Tompkins, Sgt. Josh Tompkins, Lt. Justin Green, Cpt. Steve Thornton, Lt. Scotty Belue, Sgt. Rodney Belue, Sgt. Chad Sheffield, Inv. Terry Zills, Cpt. Mike Prince, Jesse McKinney, Matt Roberts and Joseph Franks; Volunteer Service Award (for reserve officers) – Jessica Price, Ken Shannon, Brad Carter, Terri Saint, David Romans, Robert Whitaker, Nick Willis, Braden Roberts, Jody Hitt and Justin Green.
RBPD awards included: Volunteer Service Award (for reserve officers) – Greg Colburn; Certificates of Appreciation (for outstanding serive to the department) – Jordan Seahorn and Clint Holcombe.
HPD awards included: Appreciation Award – Sgt. Kyle Palmer and Lt. Bradley Long.
