LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. — Friends, family, and coworkers close to Sgt. Chris Jenkins called him a hero on Wednesday, as hundreds of people appeared to pay respects during his burial.
Fellow officers with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office said goodbye as the Loudon community mourned the loss of one of their own.
"I'm heartbroken but I feel the love of the community," said Matthew Chambers, a deputy with LCSO. "It's painful, I mean these people that you grow to love, you serve with.”
As he wished Jenkins a final goodbye, he said the sheriff’s office won’t be the same without his smiling face. He expected the sheriff's office to take time to adjust to not having him around.
"He always had a smile on his face," he said. "It could be me. It could be the guy to my left, the guy to my right. It could be anybody."
He said it was hard to find the words to express the grief he was feeling, as Jenkins was laid to rest. It’s a moment of reflection for many working in law enforcement.
"You can't think of not coming home," Chambers said.
Deputies at the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office said they find comfort in knowing the Loudon community stands with them, and on this sad day, stands by Jenkins and his family as they mourn.
Deputy Spencer Tatham said he's been to too many officer funerals before, and that even one is too many. He said each was followed by tragedy.
"It just makes it more difficult to handle it at times, especially when it's close to home like this," Tatham said.
At the Loudon County Sheriff's Office, he said, the deputies and workers there treat each other like a family. He said they have each other's backs.
Jenkins’ memorial illustrates how tight-knit the Loudon community is, said Chambers, and how the law enforcement community from across the nation comes together in a time of need.
"The outpouring love that we've had from everybody here has been phenomenal. I'm proud to be a Tennessean today," Chambers said.
In lieu of flowers, Jenkins' family is asking that a special donation be made in his name to the North Carolina Highway Patrol Caisson Unit. The horse-drawn wagon unit honored and escorted Jenkins to his final resting place Wednesday. It said it depends entirely on grants and donations to care for its horses and provide free services to honor fallen emergency personnel.