BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn — Neighbors across Knox and Blount County are lighting their homes in blue. This is another public tribute to a Blount County deputy who died last week and his fellow men and women who wear the badge.
Dan Wooldridge is one of those neighbors paying his respects.
"Thank you, that's all I can say," Wooldridge said.
Seven months ago, Wooldridge moved from Oregon to East Tennessee for the community values and support for law enforcement.
"The community has really reached out in strong support of a police force," he said.
Just within an hour of hearing the news of the death of Blount County Deputy Greg McCowan, Wooldridge turned his house light white to blue.
"I was talking to my wife and I said, 'I want to do something, but I don't know what to do,' and she said, 'Well, why don't you do the lights?'" he said.
Neighbors across Blount County are lighting their homes blue in support of the badge and Deputy McCowan.
"It's huge. These guys put their life on the line every day to protect us," he said.
Deputy McCowan is being remembered for rescuing a man from a burning car, his love for motorcycles and restoring old cars.
He was a deputy who pursued his dream of policing after working manufacturing jobs. Deputy McCowan was an emergency medical responder and had just gotten into the Sheriffs' Crisis Negotiations Team.