At the direction of Gov. Bill Lee (R), flags will be flown at half-staff at the Tennessee Capitol Friday to honor a Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) deputy killed in the line of duty earlier this week.
“Every day, our men & women of law enforcement walk the thin line between order & chaos to keep Tennesseans safe. Deputy Blakely made the ultimate sacrifice, & we can never fully express our deep gratitude,” Lee said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The grief & suffering his family will carry forever is not lost on us. Flags over the TN State Capitol will fly at half-staff on Friday in his memory. Maria & I ask Tennesseans to join us in prayer for the Blakely family.
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) October 5, 2023
“The grief & suffering his family will carry forever is not lost on us,” Lee said. “Flags over the TN State Capitol will fly at half-staff on Friday in his memory. Maria & I ask Tennesseans to join us in prayer for the Blakely family.”
Blakely (pictured above), 29, was killed after he and his partner responded to a domestic disturbance call on Sunday night in Knoxville.
“For reasons still under investigation, the situation escalated and shots were fired by both the individual and at least one of the deputies,” the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said. “TBI agents continue to work to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews.”
Blakely was transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center but succumbed to his injuries Monday.
He leaves behind a wife and a five-year-old child.
The perpetrator has since been identified as 30-year-old Matthew Logan Rose, who was killed by one of the KCSO deputies during the incident. Rose had a history of domestic violence.
Blakely had just been accepted as a candidate for KCSO’s K-9 course.
“It is unfortunate that Officer Blakely will never be able to live out that dream,” the sheriff’s office said. “The life of a servant taken far too soon.”
“We are in the very early stages of answering a lot of questions and most importantly, caring for the Blakely Family and our Knox County Sheriff’s Office Family,” KCSO said. “That will remain our focus in the many days to come.”
KCSO Sheriff Tom Spangler said Blakely died a hero.
“Officer Blakely is a hero. He lived as a hero, he died as a hero,” Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler said late Monday night. “Keep Tucker’s family in your thoughts.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on X / Twitter.
