THE BADGE Georgia Department of Public Safety Bi-Monthly Newsletter May 2015 Georgia State Patrol Fallen Trooper Road Memorials SPECIAL EDITION DPS State Road and Bridge Dedications for Georgia State Patrol Troopers Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agents killed in the line of duty The Badge 1 MESSAGE FROM THE COLONEL The Georgia State Patrol was slightly more than three years old when the first trooper died in the line of duty. Corporal Fred Black was shot and killed in December 1940 when he and another trooper stopped a vehicle that was being driven by Charles Coates, a prison escapee from Missouri. As Cpl. Black approached the vehicle, Coates fired three shots and all three struck the trooper. Coates then fled into a nearby wooded area on foot. Following an extensive manhunt that stretched from Ringgold to the mountains of Tennessee, Charles Coates was captured and returned to Georgia to face trial. He was convicted after 29 minutes of jury deliberations and given a death sentence. Since the agency was created in 1937, 27 troopers and agents assigned to the Georgia Department of Public Safety have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our citizens. The most recent was Trooper Chad LeCroy who was shot and killed following a pursuit in Atlanta in December 2010. His killer was sentenced last year to life without parole plus 55 years. In 2007, the Georgia Department of Public Safety began the process to honor all 27 of our members who have died in the line of duty with a landmark named for each in an area chosen by their family. Last October the final road memorial was completed and each now has a section of highway, an interchange or bridge bearing their name. It serves as a reminder that someone from the area served with honor and paid the ultimate price in service to Georgia. To accomplish this goal was no easy task. Family members had to be located for some of the members and support garnered from the local legislative delegations and the Georgia Department of Transportation. Once the research was finished and the locations chosen, resolutions were then introduced in the Georgia General Assembly officially naming the landmarks in memory of the fallen trooper or agent. Local ceremonies were planned for half of the group in 2013 and the other half in 2014. The ceremonies honored each in the area where they are buried and framed copies of the legislative resolution were presented to the families. In this special edition of the newsletter we honor the brave men who have died in the line of duty. The Fallen Troopers Road Memorial Project encompassed many hours of hard work by retired Captain Mike Fagler, retired Captain Paul Cosper and Captain Jason Johnson, Legislative Liaison. I thank them for meeting the challenges so motorists who see the memorial signs are reminded of the sacrifices made by those who died in the line of duty. It is a fitting tribute that we mark a segment of a road or bridge because that is where our men and women work each day. We honor the sacrifices these brave men have made and promise never to forget them. The ceremonies across our state served to advance three important characteristics of the Georgia Department of Public Safety esprit de corps, camaraderie and heritage. Each May 15 is National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which it falls is National Police Week. It is a time set aside to pay special recognition to those in law enforcement who have died in the line of duty. Congress established National Police Week by a joint resolution and President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day in 1962. This year during National Police Week, the names of 126 officers will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. Preliminary data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) indicates a 24 percent increase in the number of officers killed in the line of duty last year compared with 2013. The increase reverses what had been two years of declines in line of duty deaths. When the preliminary data is analyzed, firearms-related incidents were the number one cause of officer deaths with 50 in 2014. This was an increase of 56 percent over the 32 officers shot and killed in 2013. According to the NLEOMF, a total of 1,501 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 10 years, and, on average over the last decade, there have been 58,930 assaults against law enforcement each year. The assaults have resulted in 15,404 injuries. Law enforcement is a dangerous profession and the number of ambush-style attacks against officers is increasing. Be vigilant as you patrol and be prepared for the dangers awaiting you. I thank you for your service and the job you do each day! 2 The Badge SERGEANT WILLIAM FREDERICK BLACK, JR. Georgia State Patrol Trooper Sgt. William Frederick Black, Jr. #8 (First trooper to be promoted posthumously.) Date of Birth: April 1, 1911 Hometown: Macon, GA Trooper School: Original Trooper Assignment: District 2, Cartersville Date of Death: December 20, 1940 Road Dedication: July 10, 2013 Interchange I-16 at GA 87 (Ocmulgee E. Blvd.) Corporal Black was shot and killed during a traffic stop on GA 41 near Ringgold on December 20, 1940. He was the first Georgia State Trooper who lost his life in the line of duty. After his death, Corporal Black was promoted to the rank of sergeant by then Commissioner Lon Sullivan, "in testimony of his tireless efforts on behalf of safety of human beings on streets and highways and his valiant courage in fulfilling his oath to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth of Georgia." SPECIAL AGENT GARLAND E. FIELDS Special Agent Garland E. Fields Date of Birth: October 23, 1908 Hometown: Swainsboro, GA Trooper School: Not yet attended Assignment: Swainsboro, GA Date of Death: March 3, 1948 Road Dedication: October 30, 2013 GA 56 from U.S. 80 to the Burke County line. Agent Fields, with less than a month on the job, was involved in a gun battle on March 3, 1948, while investigating suspicious individuals at the Lighthouse Restaurant in Swainsboro on GA 4 south. He was the first special agent killed in the line of duty. The Badge 3 TROOPER JOHN FRANK BASS Georgia State Patrol Trooper John Frank Bass #188 Date of Birth: January 14, 1919 Hometown: Hogansville, GA Trooper School: 12th Assignment: Cordele Date of Death: February 15, 1950 Road Dedication: November 8, 2013 GA 100 and GA 54 Bridge at I-85 Trooper Bass was struck and killed by a hit and run driver in Cordele on February 15, 1950, at 1900 hours. The incident occurred on 24th Avenue, 25 feet west of 5th Street, in front of Trooper Bass' home. TROOPER CLYDE ARTHUR WEHUNT Georgia State Patrol Trooper Clyde Arthur Wehunt, #217 Date of Birth: October 29, 1915 Hometown: Canton, GA Trooper School: 12th Assignment: Post 27, Blue Ridge Date of Death: April 20, 1951 Road Dedication: October 11, 2013 GA 60 Spur from GA 60 Mineral Bluff, GA to the North Carolina state line. Trooper Wehunt died from injuries sustained in a patrol car crash on April 20, 1951, on GA 5 in Fannin County. 4 The Badge SERGEANT MAJOR GEORGE W. HARRELSON Georgia State Patrol Trooper Sgt. Major George W. Harrelson, #26 Date of Birth: December 2, 1914 Hometown: Helena, GA Trooper School: 6th Assignment: Security Aide for Governor Herman Talmadge Date of Death: August 15, 1952 Road Dedication: October 30, 2013 GA 30 from the intersection of U.S. 441 south of McRae, GA to the city limits of Milan, GA. Sergeant Major Harrelson was killed in a car crash in Atlanta on August 15, 1952, at Howell and Houston streets. SERGEANT CHARLES EUGENE GRAY Georgia State Patrol Trooper Sgt. Charles Eugene Gray, #184 Date of Birth: December 30, 1916 Hometown: Donalsonville, GA Trooper School: 6th Assignment: Post 14, Donalsonville Date of Death: August 16, 1961 Road Dedication: October 8, 2013 GA 91 south from the city limits of Donalsonville, GA to the Florida state line. On August 16, 1961, at 1845 hours, Sergeant Gray, Trooper Roy Cecil Massey and Trooper Harvey Lewis Nicholson were involved in a crash in Calhoun County at the intersection of GA 45 and GA 234. Sergeant Gray and Trooper Massey died at the crash scene. Trooper Nicholson died on August 18, 1961, at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany. They were en route to Donalsonville from training in Americus. The Badge 5 TROOPER ROY CECIL MASSEY Georgia State Patrol Trooper Roy Cecil Massey #115 Date of Birth: May 9, 1918 Hometown: Thomasville, GA Trooper School: 11th Assignment: Post 14, Donalsonville Date of Death: August 16, 1961 Road Dedication: October 8, 2013 GA 122 from the intersection of GA 33 south to the city limts of Patten, GA. On August 16, 1961, at 1845 hours, Sergeant Charles Eugene Gray, Trooper Massey and Trooper Harvey Lewis Nicholson were involved in a crash in Calhoun County at the intersection of GA 45 and GA 234. Sergeant Gray and Trooper Massey died at the crash scene. Trooper Nicholson died on August 18, 1961, at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany.They were en route to Donalsonville from training in Americus. TROOPER HARVEY LEWIS NICHOLSON Georgia State Patrol Trooper Harvey Lewis Nicholson #254 Date of Birth: July 9, 1908 Hometown: Decatur, GA Trooper School: 12th Assignment: Post 14, Donalsonville Date of Death: August 18, 1961 Road Dedication: October 9, 2013 The intersection of GA 45 and GA 234 On August 16, 1961, at 1845 hours, Sergeant Charles Eugene Gray, Trooper Roy Cecil Massey and Trooper Nicholson were involved in a crash in Calhoun County at the intersection of GA 45 and GA 234. Sergeant Gray and Trooper Massey died at the crash scene. Trooper Nicholson died on August 18, 1961, at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany. They were en route to Donalsonville from training in Americus. 6 The Badge TROOPER FREDERICK HERMAN LOONEY Georgia State Patrol Trooper Frederick Herman Looney #488 Date of Birth: March 18, 1931 Hometown: Cartersville, GA Trooper School: 22nd Assignment: Canton Date of Death: May 25, 1962 Road Dedication: October 15, 2013 GA 20 from the Cherokee County line to I-75. On May 25, 1962 at 1245 hours, Trooper Looney was killed in a patrol car crash on GA 306, four tenths (.4) of a mile west of Cumming, GA. SPECIAL AGENT WELTON HARRELL Special Agent Welton Harrell Date of Birth: December 12, 1914 Hometown: Camilla, GA Trooper School: 14th Assignment: Americus Date of Death: December 23, 1964 Road Dedication: October 9, 2013 GA 262 east from the city limits of Vada, GA Special Agent Harrell died from injuries sustained in a car crash December 23, 1964, eight miles west of Americus on U.S. 280 in Terrell County. He passed away late that morning at the St. Francis Hospital in Muscogee County. He was en route to a reported shooting when he lost control and crashed. The Badge 7 TROOPER VICTOR HARVEY TURPEN Georgia State Patrol Trooper Victor Harvey Turpen #175 Date of Birth: September 28, 1923 Hometown: Tallulah Falls, GA Trooper School: 17th Assignment: Motor Vehicle Inspection Unit Date of Death: February 23, 1965 Road Dedication: October 14, 2014 GA 15 from the northern city limits of Tallulah Falls to the southern city limits. Trooper Turpen died on February 23, 1965, from injuries sustained in a traffic crash on September 30, 1964. He was a passenger in a patrol car involved in a crash on Mitchell Street in Atlanta. SPECIAL AGENT LIEUTENANT BENJAMIN LOUIS SENTELL Special Agent Lt. Benjamin Louis Sentell #24 Date of Birth: September 5, 1912 Hometown: Waynesboro, GA Trooper School: 3rd Assignment: Waynesboro Date of Death: March 3, 1966 Road Dedication: October 3, 2014 GA 24 from the western city limits of Waynesboro, GA to the intersection of GA 305. On March 3, 1966, at 1130 hours, Agent Sentell was killed when he lost control of his vehicle on GA 24, seven tenths (.7) of a mile west of Louisville. 8 The Badge TROOPER MACK ALLEN PAGE Georgia State Patrol Trooper Mack Allen Page, #483 Date of Birth: December 31, 1939 Hometown: Ellijay, GA Trooper School: 26th Assignment: Post 27, Blue Ridge Date of Death: June 22, 1968 Road Dedication: October 20, 2014 GA 52 from its intersection with Rackley Road to the Dawson County line. On June 22, 1968, Trooper Page was killed when he lost control of his vehicle during patrol. The incident occurred at mile post 12.1 on GA 2 in Union County. TROOPER BILLY ARTHUR TANNER Georgia State Patrol Trooper Billy Arthur Tanner #268 Date of Birth: October 2, 1944 Hometown: Cedartown, GA Trooper School: 35th Assignment: Post 43, Calhoun Date of Death: April 11, 1970 Road Dedication: October 7, 2014 GA 6 from the U.S. 27 Bypass to the western city limits of Rockmart. On April 11, 1970, at 1715 hours, Trooper Tanner was killed when he and Trooper Jeff Shultz were responding to a call for assistance by another trooper. The single car crash occurred in Gordon County on GA 225, 2.6 miles north of Calhoun. The Badge 9 TROOPER EDWARD CLIFTON TAYLOR Georgia State Patrol Trooper Edward Clifton Taylor #696 Date of Birth: February 15, 1946 Hometown: Toccoa, GA Trooper School: 37th Assignment: Post 33, Milledgeville Date of Death: June 26, 1971 Road Dedication: September 16, 2014 GA 184 from the Jeanette Jamieson intersection with GA 365 and the GA 17 Toccoa Bypass to the intersection of Dicks Hill Parkway in Stephens County. On June 26, 1971, Trooper Taylor was a passenger in a patrol car driven by Trooper Eric Davis that left the roadway and struck a tree. The crash occurred on GA 44 in Jones County. SPECIAL AGENT LARRY PAUL COLLINS Sspecial Agent Larry Paul Collins #252 Date of Birth: January 1, 1946 Hometown: Hawkinsville, GA Trooper School: 34th Assignment: Americus Date of Death: November 5, 1973 Road Dedication: October 22, 2014 GA 257 from the southern city limit of Hawkinsville to the northern city limits of Cordele. While returning from duty in the Athens area, Agent Collins was killed in a single car crash in Taylor County. The incident occurred on November 5, 1973, on GA 128, mile north of Reynolds. 10 The Badge TROOPER JAMES DAVID YOUNG Georgia State Patrol Trooper James David Young, #481 Date of Birth: June 10, 1940 Hometown: Fitzgerald, GA Trooper School: 41st Assignment: Post 30, Cordele Date of Death: May 4, 1975 Road Dedication: October 22, 2014 GA 107 east of Fitzgerald Trooper Young and Cordele Police Sergeant Willis Haralson were shot and killed by a prisoner on May 4, 1975, in the Cordele Police Department. CORPORAL TYRONE COLLIER DILLARD Georgia State Patrol Trooper Tyrone Collier Dillard, #612 Date of Birth: October 29, 1944 Hometown: Athens, GA Trooper School: 32nd Assignment: Post 6, Gainesville Date of Death: February 3, 1977 Road Dedication: September 25, 2014 GA 11 from I-985 to the Jackson County line. On February 3, 1977, Corporal Dillard was struck and killed by a vehicle while directing traffic on GA 129, 2.8 miles south of Gainesville. The Badge 11 TFC WILLIAM GAINES ANDREWS, JR. Georgia State Patrol Trooper William Gaines Andrews, Jr. #738 Date of Birth: April 14, 1945 Hometown: Thomaston, GA Trooper School: 45th Assignment: Post 34, Manchester Date of Death: May 8, 1977 Road Dedication: May 29, 2014 GA 41 from the northern city limits of Talbotton to the southern city limits of Woodland. On May 7, 1977, at 2314 hours, Trooper Andrews was in pursuit of a speeding vehicle on GA 41, 1.5 miles north of Talbotton. During the chase, he lost control of his patrol car and struck a tree. Trooper Andrews died on May 8 from injuries sustained in the crash. TROOPER FIRST CLASS KEITH HARLAN SEWELL Georgia State Patrol Trooper TFC Keith Harlan Sewell #401 Date of Birth: October 10, 1953 Hometown: Atlanta, GA Trooper School: 49th Assignment: Post 8, Madison Date of Death: January 17, 1979 Road Dedication: October 16, 2014 The bridge on U.S. 441 over the railroad tracks between the intersection of GA 12 and Lower Appalachee Road in Morgan County. On January 17, 1979, at 2327 hours, Trooper Sewell was killed in a single car crash on GA 24 in Oconee County approximately 1,000 feet north of the Morgan County Line. 12 The Badge TROOPER JOHN DIXON MORRIS Georgia State Patrol Trooper John Dixon Morris #170 Date of Birth: July 20, 1953 Hometown: Dublin, GA Trooper School: 54th Assignment: Post 8, Madison Date of Death: May 18, 1982 Road Dedication: October 23, 2014 The portion of GA 24 from the northern city limits of Waynesboro to the intersection of GA 305. On May 18, 1982, Trooper Morris was killed in a single car crash while responding to a report of a school bus crash. The incident occurred on the Atlanta Highway at Monroe. TROOPER FIRST CLASS DONWARD FRANCIS LANGSTON Georgia State Patrol Trooper TFC Donward Francis Langston Date of Birth: October 22, 1941 Hometown: Summerville, GA Trooper School: 45th Assignment: Post 29, Cedartown Date of Death: July 26, 1983 Road Dedication: October 7, 2014 The bridge on GA 1 over Blacks Buff Road in Floyd County. On July 26, 1983, at 2320 hours, TFC Langston was killed in a single car crash while in pursuit of a vehicle on GA 1 in Polk County. During the chase he lost control and struck a bridge. The Badge 13 TROOPER FIRST CLASS RONALD EVERETT O'NEAL Georgia State Patrol Trooper TFC Ronald Everett O'Neal Date of Birth: February 17, 1944 Hometown: Hinesville, GA Trooper School: 38th Assignment: Post 11, Hinesville Date of Death: January 10, 1984 Road Dedication: November 17, 2005 An overpass (Retreat Road) on I-95 between mile posts 70 and 71 in Liberty County. On January 10, 1984, at 0119 hours, TFC O'Neal was killed in a crash during a pursuit on I-95 in Liberty County. During the chase, the suspect intentionally struck TFC O'Neal's vehicle causing him to lose control at mile post 70.1. The patrol car left the roadway and struck a group of trees. TROOPER FIRST CLASS JAMES KEITH STEWART, JR. Georgia State Patrol Trooper TFC James Keith Stewart, Jr. #829 Date of Birth: February 1, 1959 Hometown: Vienna, GA Trooper School: 57th Assignment: Post 30, Cordele Date of Death: April 27, 1991 Road Dedication: June 4, 2014 GA 215 from the southern city limits of Vienna to the northern city limits of Pitts. On April 27, 1991,TFC Stewart was killed in a single car crash while he was responding to a call for assistance by the Rochelle Police Department. Approximately four miles north of Pitts on GA 215, he lost control while attempting to maneuver around a horse in the roadway. 14 The Badge TROOPER TONY MICHAEL LUMLEY Georgia State Patrol Trooper Tony Michael Lumley Date of Birth: October 26, 1967 Hometown: The Rock, GA Trooper School: 79th Assignment: Post 1, Griffin Date of Death: December 2, 2003 Road Dedication: October 26, 2009 GA 18 at the Pike/Meriwether County line in Pike County. On December 1, 2003, Trooper Lumley was pursuing a vehicle on GA 16 west of Griffin in Spalding County. His vehicle was intentionally struck by the suspect's vehicle causing him to lose control and crash. He died from injuries sustained in the assault on December 2. CORPORAL MICHAEL DOUGLAS YOUNG Georgia State Patrol Trooper Cpl. Michael Douglas Young #674 Date of Birth: July 20, 1959 Hometown: Brunswick, GA and Tattnall County Trooper School: 61st Assignment: Post 23, Brunswick Date of Death: August 29, 2006 Road Dedication: August 29, 2008 Exit 29, I-95, U.S. 82/GA 25 in Glynn County. On August 19, 2006, at 1138 hours, Corporal Young was responding to a call for assistance from another trooper involved in a pursuit. As he was traveling south on I-95, he lost control on the rain slick pavement, crossed the median, and struck two vehicles traveling north. This occurred approximately one mile north of GA 25. Corporal Young died from injuries sustained in the incident on August 29, 2006. The Badge 15 CORPORAL CHADWICK LECROY Georgia State Patrol Trooper Cpl. Chad LeCroy (Second trooper to be promoted posthumously) Date of Birth: April 6, 1972 Hometown: Marietta, GA Trooper School: 85th Assignment: Post 48, Atlanta Date of Death: Dec. 27, 2010 Road Dedication: August 8, 2012 James Jackson Parkway at S. Cobb Drive (GA 280) at the Cobb/Fulton County line on the Chattahoochee River Bridge. Around 11 p.m. on December 27, 2010, TFC Chad LeCroy attempted to make a traffic stop on a 2007 Mazda that had only one headlight. Following a short pursuit, the Mazda crashed into a mailbox at the intersection of St. Paul Avenue and Hightower Road in West Atlanta. As TFC LeCroy approached the vehicle on the passenger side, the driver opened the passenger door and fired three shots, one of which struck TFC LeCroy. The violator left the scene in LeCroy's patrol car, but was located and apprehended a short time later through the cooperative efforts of the Atlanta and Cobb County police departments. THE BADGE The Badge is published quarterly by the Public Information Office of the Georgia Department of Public Safety as an information service for Department members and retirees. HONORABLE NATHAN DEAL Governor COLONEL MARK W. MCDONOUGH Commissioner LT. COLONEL RUSSELL POWELL Deputy Commissioner Capt. Mark Perry, Director Franka Young, Editor Tracey Watson James Moore The Badge Public Information Office P.O. Box 1456 Atlanta, GA 30371-1456 Website: dps.georgia.gov 16 The Badge