BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — Blount County is mourning the loss of Deputy Greg McCowan after he was shot and killed in the line of duty last week.
Friends and family gathered Tuesday to pay their respects at Sevier Heights Baptist Church.
The atmosphere has been heavy over the last few days. Greg Willis, the deputy’s best friend, said McCowan's death left a huge void behind. They knew each other for 20 years.
“We met, we were actually building boats together at Mastercraft,” Willis said. “He was very direct. What he said you could trust him and he was a man that loved with his whole heart when he loved.”
The deputy used to work at Mastercraft before he went into law enforcement.
McCowan was the first to help somebody no matter who that was, his best friend said. The two bonded right off the bat.
“We done everything together... vacations at each other’s houses, our families, our children grew up together from the time they were in diapers,” Willis said. “He was true... he was an honest man... he was bigger than life.”
Behind the uniform, McCowan was a man who loved to have fun. The two friends shared common interests.
“Anything fast or I’d almost say dangerous, boats,” Willis said. “Always jumped waves making everyone laugh or hold on. We loved Jeep riding right beside each other, anything outdoors that had to do with motorized vehicles.”
Willis says the deputy used to talk to him a lot about how he wanted to join law enforcement. Becoming a deputy was McCowan's dream.
For Willis, losing his best friend now leaves a scar that will stay there forever.
“Always loved to serve, loved to protect from a total stranger to the ones who were closest to him,” Willis said. “There’s a piece of me that will never be filled... there is nobody that can ever take his place.”