In Remembrance: KCSO Deputy Tucker Blakely

By Ralphine Major

I saw several helicopters flying overhead on the day of the service.  From Corryton to Kingston Pike, I saw signs honoring Knox County Sheriff's Office deputy Tucker Blakely who was shot and killed while on a call recently.  Many who knew him described the young officer as a kind and caring person.  In nearly every picture I saw of him, he wore a smile.  Blakely was a United States Army veteran and was soon to become a K-9 officer.  Officer Blakely's death is a stark reminder of the danger men and women in blue face every day.

The funeral procession and celebration of life service was first-class and so well deserved.  Several organizations coordinated the outstanding tribute to honor this local law enforcement hero who gave his life serving his community.  Included among the many were Mynatt's Funeral Home in Powell, Tennessee; Clear Springs Baptist Church; Knox County Sheriff's Office; Knoxville Police Department; City of Knoxville Fire Department; and Rural Metro Fire.  A great show of support came from law enforcement agencies from surrounding counties as well as numerous others from across the region who came to help cover local deputies' shifts so they could attend the memorial service.  I could not help but wonder what might have been going through his young son's mind during the heartbreaking ceremony.  Death is difficult even for adults to process.  Officer Blakely was born in 1994, the same year that my brother and I lost our father.  To us, 29 years seems like a long time; but 29 years old is way too young for someone to die.  Heartfelt sympathy and prayers go out to this precious family as they grieve their tremendous loss.  May it be a comfort to know their loved one is in a better place, and he left this world a better place during the brief time he was in it.  This tribute to Officer Blakely concludes with a special message from Justin Pratt, Senior Pastor, Clear Springs Baptist Church:

"The least we felt we could do for the family, the Knox County Sheriff's Office and the citizens of Knox County was to give Officer Blakely a memorial deserving of the sacrifice that he made.  Such an act of boldness and heroism doesn't happen in our hometown every day.  Officer Blakely became the epitome of selfless service in the willingness to give his life for the good of others.  May such an act of service cause each of us to have a deeper respect and appreciation for all civil servants who put their lives on the line each and every day.  Officer Tucker Blakely is one of many examples who displayed the spirit of Jesus Christ in the laying down of his life for someone else."

Words of Faith fitting to Officer Blakely and chosen by Pastor Pratt: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (KJV).