Sullivan County Sheriff's Office (Tennessee)
The Sullivan County Sheriffs Office, sometimes referred to as "SCSO", is the primary law enforcement organization serving Sullivan County, Tennessee, in the United States. The Department has a staff of 260 deputies, corrections officers, and support personnel. The department also staffs a 24-7 9-1-1 dispatch center that provides dispatching for the sheriff's office, Bluff City Police Department, Sullivan County Fire Departments, and Sullivan County EMS. The dispatch center receives approximately 100,000 calls each year.
| Sullivan County Sheriffs Office | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Legal jurisdiction | Sullivan County Tennessee |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Blountville, Tennessee |
| Agency executives |
|
| Divisions | 14
|
| Facilities | |
| Stations | 1 |
| Website | |
| Sullivan County Sheriff Office | |
Administration
The Administration Division is responsible for Records, Training, Warrants, and the department SRO program with area schools.
Patrol
The Patrol Division is responsible for responding to all 9-1-1 calls for law enforcement in the county. The Patrol Division consists of 4 platoons, each assigned a Lieutenant and 2 Sergeants for supervision. The Patrol Captain oversees all 4 platoons.
Criminal Investigations
Criminal Investigations Division (CID)
Communications
The Communications Division is responsible for answering 9-1-1 calls in Sullivan County and dispatching for the sheriff's office, Bluff City Police Department, Sullivan County Fire Departments, and Sullivan County EMS. The center is staffed 24-7 by highly trained professionals and is the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the county. The center receives approximately 100,000 calls each year. The department has 16 dispatchers.
Records & Warrants
The Records Division is where all records, including police reports, warrants, and other types of reporting information is handled.
F.I.R.S.T
The F.I.R.S.T Team is made up of several officers that are highly trained in accident crash investigation. The F.I.R.S.T Team responds to crashes that involves a fatality in the county.
K-9
The K-9 Division consists of trained officers with K-9 dogs. These dogs are trained in suspect apprehension, tracking, drug detection, and explosive detection.
S.W.A.T
The department operates a S.W.A.T Team that consists of highly trained officers in multiple areas, including hostage negotiation and suspect apprehension.
School Resource Officers
The School Resource Officers Division (SRO) consists of officers who are assigned schools throughout the county that they patrol.
Process
The Process Division is responsible for serving all civil papers in the county.
Courts
The Court Division is responsible for overseeing all counts in the county, including Bristol Court and Kingsport Courts.
Transportation
The Transportation Division is responsible for providing transportation services of inmates to and from aerial facilities.
Corrections
The Corrections Division handles all jail and prisoner matters, which include prisoner transportation, medical staff, and protection of all prisoners and other persons in the Sullivan County Jail.
Reserve
The Reserve Division consists of sheriff deputies that volunteer their time. These deputies are not paid by the county, however they are still considered law enforcement officers.
Rank structure
| Title | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Sheriff |  |
| Chief Deputy |  |
| Assistant Chief |  |
| Captain |  |
| Lieutenant |  |
| Sergeant | .svg.png.webp){kind=icon} |
| Deputy/Detective | |
Fallen officers
Since the organization was established, 10 members of the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office have died in the line of duty.[1]
| Officer | Date of Death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Special Deputy Lee Eldridge | Special Deputy Eldridge was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man who had broken into the post office in Harris, Tennessee. A warrant for the man's arrest was placed in the hands of a regular deputy, who deputized Mr. Eldridge to assist him. As Deputy Eldridge and the other deputy approached the man, the suspect suddenly leveled a shotgun at them and opened fire, killing Deputy Eldridge. The 23-year-old suspect was captured two days later near Abingdon, Virginia. | |
| Deputy Sheriff Hubert Webb | Deputy Hubert Webb and Patrolman John Smith, of the Kingsport Police Department, were shot and killed as they and another officer attempted to arrest a fugitive. The suspect was wanted for murdering Deputy Sheriff Murdock McIntosh, of the Greene County, Tennessee, Sheriff's Department, on December 24, 1924. As the officers approached, the suspect opened fire, fatally wounding both officers and a civilian who was with the officers. The suspect was apprehended and later died while serving time in a penitentiary in Parchman, Mississippi. | |
| Sergeant Arthur Carroll Lane | Sergeant Lane was struck and killed by a vehicle while conducting a roadblock to stop a stolen vehicle on Wadlow Gap Road. The driver of the vehicle struck Sergeant Lane as he stood outside of his patrol car. The juvenile was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 6 years in prison, but released after serving only 3 years. During the investigation of his murder, Sergeant Paul Mooneyham of the Tennessee Highway Patrol suffered a fatal heart attack due to the stress and long hours of the investigation. | |
| Patrolman Glayton Mitchell Parker | Deputy Glayton Parker was shot in the face and killed with a high powered rifle while attempting to serve a misdemeanor warrant because the suspect failed to show up for a court-ordered mental evaluation. | |
| Sergeant Roscoe Teague | Patrolman Teague suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after being involved in an altercation with two men during a traffic stop. During the altercation, he had to spray the men with his department issued chemical agent. He suffered a heart attack a short time later. He was transported to a local hospital where he remained until passing away while waiting for a heart transplant. | |
| Deputy Sheriff Steve N Mullins | Deputy Steve Mullins was killed when he was struck by a vehicle. The vehicle, being driven by three runaway juveniles, had been stolen in Florida and was being chased by members of another department. Deputy Mullins pulled his cruiser into the lane of traffic in which the van was traveling to protect the traffic ahead of him. The van crashed into the cruiser, knocking Deputy Mullins into the grill of a wrecker approximately 25 feet away. He was flown to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. | |
| Reserve Deputy Barry Shelton | Reserve Deputy Barry Shelton and Deputy Stephen Riner were killed in a single vehicle accident while responding to a domestic violence call. Both officers were killed when their vehicle went off the roadway and hit a tree. | |
| Deputy Sheriff Stephen Dwight Riner | Reserve Deputy Barry Shelton and Deputy Stephen Riner were killed in a single vehicle accident while responding to a domestic violence call. Both officers were killed when their vehicle went off the roadway and hit a tree. | |
| Deputy Sheriff Robert Bowlin, Sr. | Deputy Sheriff Robert Bowlin succumbed to injuries sustained on November 11, 2006, when he was struck by a vehicle on I-81. He was investigating another vehicle crash when an oncoming pickup truck drove off the roadway and struck him. He was never able to fully recover from his injuries and he died as a direct result of complications on October 31, 2016. Deputy Bowlin had served with the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office for 19 years. | |
| Sergeant Steve Hinkle | Sergeant Steve Hinkle succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained three days earlier at 3606 Highway 11W. Deputies had responded to the residence to conduct a welfare check on an occupant. As they approached the home the occupant opened fire on them, causing them to seek cover. As the deputies attempted to establish communication with the man he opened fire a second time, striking Sergeant Hinkle during the exchange of gunfire. The subject was found deceased inside the home several hours later. Sergeant Hinkle was transported to the hospital where he died as a result of his wounds on February 26, 2019. Sergeant Hinkle had served with the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office for 27 years. |