MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The badge number belonging to a Blount County Sheriff's Office deputy who died in the line of duty has been retired.
Greg McCowan died in a shooting while he responded to a traffic stop on Sevierville Road in February 2024, and his badge was retired during a memorial honoring fallen police officers in Maryville on Wednesday.
May 15 is National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Retiring a badge number is a first for the Blount County Sheriff's Office, said James Berrong, the Blount County Sheriff.
"Deputy Greg McCowan gave his life to service in Blount County, February 8, 2024," Berrong said. "In honor of his heroism, the Blount County Sheriff's Office is retiring Badge 344. Deputy McCowan, we have it from here."
Officers from the Alcoa, Maryville and Townsend police departments, along with those from the BSCO, honored all police officers and deputies who've died in Blount County over the years.
Tony Crisp, the Maryville Police Chief, said Blount County departments take turns hosting the memorial each year and hosting it in Maryville was extra meaningful because of McCowan's death.
"It's on the heels of the February fatal shooting of deputy Greg McCowan of the sheriff's office," Crisp said. "So it's even just a little bit closer, just because of that time frame. And the retirement that Sheriff Berrong did of deputy McCowan's badge this morning."
Kenneth Wayne DeHart Jr. is facing murder, and multiple other felonies, in the death of McCowan. BCSO Deputy Shelby Eggers was also wounded during that traffic stop. You can read more about that case here.
