[Applause] Well we do want to thank you for joining us on wvlt news I’m Harry Sullivan as we honor a Fallen Hero today the funeral of Fallen Blunt County Deputy Greg maowen happening at severe Heights Church we’re standing by as we wait for that funeral to get underway at 1:00 today Deputy
Maowen died on Thursday February 8th the 40 uh 43y old leaves behind a fiance two children and a granddaughter uh just a very sad situation that we’ve seen unfold over the last few days there will be a procession immediately following the funeral we have Team coverage out
And about East Tennessee that will be able to bring you that live uh right here on Facebook if that’s where you’re watching us also inside your wvlt news app uh as Deputy maowen is taken to Grand View Cemetery we’ve seen so much outpouring of support you can see there
Uh this is actually uh just off of Hall Road uh in Blunt County where that massive massive flag is flying there this is something that we’ve seen for many of the Fallen First Responders all across East Tennessee too many that we’ve had to cover here at wvt news over
The past several years in Tucker Blakeley Knox County a couple years ago you think of Kenny otes many others uh over the course of the last couple of years and speaking of severe Heights Baptist Church a place um unfortunately near and dear to those First Responders in Blunt County marville police officer
Kenny Moes his funeral was held at severe Heights Baptist Church uh just in 2016 this is what was the scene just a couple of hours ago our crews out and about watching as more First Responders make their way to severe Heights off of Alcoa Highway just the outpouring of
Support people pulled over on the side of the road we do expect to see many many people out and about on the procession that will take place immediately following that funeral we’ve also heard that Tennessee governor Bill Lee he’s in town for that funeral as well and just about an hour uh probably
Around 11:30 the the governor announcing that state flags will be at half staff especially over the state capital they’re right now uh doing that as we speak flying low over the Capital One thing we saw I want to show you the Rock The Rock on campus at this is The
Farmhouse fraternity they were working on this for quite some time this is a time lapse that we got to see on the live stream we had Crews there with them as well The Farmhouse fraternity most recently did this for Knox County Deputy Tucker Blakeley painting The Rock you
Think about how many different people pass the rock each and every day students from out of state students from even right here who maybe don’t follow news uh like many of you do not knowing about Fallen Blunt County Deputy Greg maowen and walking by this on the way to
Class people touring campus we saw campus tours go by and I think that’s something that really probably struck a note with many of them going this is what vs do this is what Knoxville does this is what Tennessee does for their fallen heroes their fallen First Responders them writing Rest in Peace to
Blunt County Sheriff’s deputy Greg maowen John 153 the Bible verse put there by The Farmhouse fraternity they said this was just something they felt compelled to do so many different things go on the rock for so many random reasons and this felt like above many other things the right thing to do to
Paint the rock there on campus once again we do expect this funeral to start around 1:00 as we’re just standing by waiting for things to get underway at severe Heights Baptist Church uh one of the larger churches in Blunt County uh that we are expecting this funeral to
Happen at also the same place where in 2016 marville police officer uh Kenny Moz had his funeral as well now for more about Deputy macowan the 43-year-old leaves behind a fiance two children a grandchild as well just 43 years old in the outpouring of support we’ve heard
From people so many stories about Awards he’s received from the brunt County Sheriff’s Office people our will Pucket talked to someone who uh Deputy maowen patrols his neighborhood her neighborhood and just how nice he was what kind of a man he was something that really will most likely stand out to you
Once you watch this funeral and start to hear from the sheriff other people in the community other leaders that had the pleasure to cross path with the deputy uh gone way too soon at 43 years old um one of the things that we have heard is just especially from the sheriff the the
Only time that I really talk about this is that the suspect being in custody offering some kind of Peace of Mind for the family it’s hard to even imagine anything can change their peace of mind with what has happened to them but something that has happened obviously in
The last 24 hours is this continues to make news from last Thursday it was last Thursday in the evening once again leaving behind a fiance two children and a granddaughter coming from his obituary just to give you a little bit more about who he was outside of being a deputy
Outside of being a hero Moz I mean excuse me uh Deputy Greg McOwen he loved his family his obituary says he was full of love in life he enjoyed dirt track racing traveling boating riding motorcycles restoring cars and Mustangs much like anyone here in East Tennessee anyone in the United
States who loves to do these types of things but more than that according to his obituary he loved his family he had a heart to serve always wanting and willing to give a helping hand he was actually awarded the Sheriff’s Office Commendation in April of 2021 for
Helping save a man in a burning vehicle we covered that here at wvlt news and then you see something like this someone who meant so much to the community especially a community like Blunt County and East Tennessee such a tight-knit area and even we were able to speak with
Uh officer Kenny Mo’s mother who was there at severe Heights yesterday uh as the maau family accepted family accepted friends in a visitation her offering herself up just to try to be there to be there as a mother who’s gone through something like this and she even stressed that she can’t even understand
What macau’s mother is going through what his family is going through everyone processes this differently she just wanted to be there to reach out a helping hand a friendly hand she actually got to meet Deputy maau when she said at church um so the impact that
He had goes far and wide just his family and and people within the Department even other departments other jurisdictions marville police department and one of the things we saw at the press conference yesterday was just how many different agencies are involved in this even with the US Marshall service
Knoxville Police Department and how everyone was able to come together for this common cause a brother in arms a Fallen Hero going down once again 1:00 we are waiting for this funeral to start at severe Heights Baptist Church for Blunt County Deputy Greg maowen also want to mention Deputy Shelby Edgars who
Was shot on Thursday as well we’ve heard from the sheriff he talked about her yesterday didn’t go too deep into detail on her but just talked about how she was in somewhat okay spirits still trying to process everything that had went down she’s been released from the hospital
That’s the good news uh on the that front of Deputy Shelby Edgars who was shot along with Blunt County Deputy Greg mcau Deputy mcowan obviously uh giving the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty I want to talk about this procession that’s going to follow this funeral service so that funeral starts
At 1:00 we’ve been hearing the procession will start sometimes around 2:30 3:00 really once this funeral uh finishes that procession is going to go from Alcoa Highway to Hall Road massive massive American flag hanging over that uh that’s going to be in Blunt County they’re going to go to tuichi Pike in
Maraville as they make their way to Grand View Cemetery uh where that burial will then take place so there’s going to be a lot of people out and about on the roads if that’s that’s something that you’re going to have to be doing heading that part of town Alcoa Highway severe
Heights really hard to miss honestly uh on Alcoa Highway as big as that churches in that area with all the construction recently as well uh but just be be careful out there once you’re out and about uh if that is what you’re going to be doing after the funeral as this
Procession will move and if it’s anything like we expect it to be just like the procession we saw for Knox County Deputy Tucker Blakeley not too long ago a massive massive out showing of support if you are heading maybe you live by there you’re going to head out
Soon to show your support as well the Sheriff’s Office do is asking us just to let everyone know to please please be careful find a safe spot if you can and clear off the road if you’re driving keep in mind this be could could be coming down your way on aloa Highway no
Matter the side of the highway you’re on just please uh stay alert as a lot of different organizations a lot of different First Responders coming into town to take part in this procession a lot of other departments kind of filling in the gaps for Blunt County deputies so
They can attend this this service too they had the visitation yesterday at severe Heights that funeral starting at 1:00 going to take place in just a little bit as well back to the obituary uh so many people that love love Deputy Greg maowen here uh in East Tennessee including his two children a
Granddaughter he leaves behind a fiance many many other people bonus children they call it as well they said he’ll be remembered uh for his love for his family and that contagious smile you can kind of even get that from looking at these pictures of him you know these
Pictures taken at the department over there you go yes a first responder you want to show that heroism that stoicness but you can kind of tell he’s just a guy that loved life and when you’re looking at the things that he loved to do repair motorcycles travel boat dirt track
Racing repairing cars and Mustangs and you think about someone in East Tennessee and someone about what they like to do on a daily basis where their work isn’t their life this is what you think about who loved his family loved everyone around that we haven’t heard anyone say anything
Remotely disparaging about Deputy Greg maowen um and I’m sure we’re going to hear even more glowing things uh from the sheriff the sheriff James Bong obviously shaken up in some of the press conferences that we’ve seen hard to imagine you know our prayers go out to
Him as well as the rest of the Blunt County Sheriff’s Office of of doing this and and that’s really where we’re seeing Knox County East Tennessee all come together where people came together for Knox County Deputy Tucker Blakeley the lden County Sheriff’s Office coming together for different things and so
That’s something that we’re really expecting to see uh in tfold as this comes to to fruition in just about a couple of minutes here as we are still standing by 10:5 this afternoon as we wait for this funeral to get underway we should be getting closer and closer we
Do have team coverage for you that’ll be happening all day long all evening uh especially once the procession gets underway we’ll be bringing you different views of that so you at home uh can feel like you’re taking part of that as well a lot of people have been going by the
Criminal Justice Center uh in maraville to see his Cruiser flowers everywhere people have been coming by a steady flow all day long we’ll have our will Pucket out there that’s where he’ll go as the cruiser and the procession will make its way by uh that place in marville as
Well they looks like they are just about to get underway we will now take you live to severe Heights Baptist Church to the funeral for Blunt County Deputy Greg macowan a hero being remembered a hero Gone Too Soon here in East Tennessee we’ll take you there now you may be seated good
Afternoon I’m Jeff French the chief Deputy with the Blunt County Sheriff’s Office on behalf of Greg’s family and the Blunt County Sheriff’s Office I’d like to welcome you and thank you for being here we’re here today to honor Deputy mowen’s Duty and sacrifice and to celebrate a life well
Lived at this time I would like to ask you to stand again and would like to invite bunk County Sheriff’s Office chaplain Brad Bryant to come and lead us in an opening prayer and after the prayer I would ask that you remain standing for the national anthem to be performed by Deputy Shelby
AAR please stand let’s pray Heavenly Father we’re gathered here today to celebrate the life and service of Deputy Greg maowen while we thank you for our time with him we can’t help but be frustrated with our questions being unanswered and our hearts staying so broken even after yesterday’s events
There was some solace in knowing that Greg’s killer been caught but our hearts are still broken maybe you’re just trying to teach us that healing will never come from getting even or paying back but the true healing only comes from you so we are coming to you now asking
For peace and comfort and yes healing I ask that you be with this precious family by Blood and by Blue who have been attacked by evil I ask that you surround them with your love and mercy I ask that you calm the minds and hearts of those who
Continue to ask the wh if questions and toss and turn unable to sleep at night speak peace into their Spirits while this reminds us that there is evil in the world we also know that the brave men and women of The Thin Blue Line that are physically behind Greg’s
Family here stand ready to fight that evil give them strength give them courage give them Victory we commit everything that takes place today in the sanctuary to you may we honor you father as well as Greg a true man a father a grandfather a deputy and a friend may you rest in
Peace as his blue family takes it from here in Christ’s name we pray amen Amen what Sooud through the RS we work together Rock glare the bombs bursting in air gave prove through the night that our flag was still there oh s that star spangle B away for the land of the free and the home of the Bra you may be seated at this time it’s my honor to introduce our governor of the great state of Tennessee Bill Lee it’s with great honor that I have the opportunity to stand before you to bring honor to the life of Greg mowen um Maria my wife is with me here
Today it should be noted as well that lieutenant governor MCN is here speaker seon is here members of the general assembly here because this moment and this service is one where leaders all across this state will pause and reflect to honor a hero the men and women that serve every single day
To um protect ATT and defend and to make certain that the rest of us in this state um can live peaceably I’m grateful for every single one of you and I’m grateful that you’re here today to honor a man who served alongside you and who is a hero to all of
Tennessee so I just wanted to take the opportunity to welcome you and thank you I want to speak especially to the family Greg McCowen is a hero he is one of those who have chosen to put their life In Harm’s Way to serve the people of the
State and you are the ones who suffer the most today because of that decision we are the beneficiaries of the heroism of your father and of your loved one and of your son he is a hero and a law enforcement official and a leader to all of us in Tennessee but to
You he is a dad he is a son he is a loved one and for you this goes Way Beyond just being a hero my prayer for you is that the Lord’s nearness be a sweet thread in the bitter fabric of these days that you that are
Your lives right now my other prayer is that this that you I hope that you will have a moment to take in the magnitude of the honor that is being bestowed upon this man who served all of us it is our hope that this in some small way this honor
Some small way will be a part of the healing process for you so that you will one day realize just what he means to all of us not just to you thank you for the incredible honor that I have to honor him Today I’ve got a son who loves his daddy and he’s well aware I wear a badge he loves my worko my patrol car the blue lights that he asks if he can Have one day I was called to talk to my little boys third grade teacher I walked in and said what’s he done day with a tear in her Sheed me his joural said he wrote this morning entry at the bottom of the P he wrote I’m scared I’m worried why does my daddy have to wear a gun to work Do me this favor God and I won’t say a word not just my daddy I’m not selfish but please take care of every badge out there As he got he was drawn to that shiny badge like a mo is to a Flame tin codes and scanners staying up late listening for my number or my Name till one night on the radio he heard his daddy screaming we need help and back up right away and in a panic that young man fell down on his knees and he prayed dear God I’m scared I’m worried why does my daddy have to we a gun to Work and I won’t say a word not just my father I’m not selfish but please take care of every bad out There I’ve got a son who knows his daddy loves him and it’s no surprise to anyone he was sworn in on Monday they gave him his own bad and his Gone oh God I’m scared I’m worried why does my little boy have to wear a gun to Work him take him away from me do me this favor God and I won’t say a word not just my little boy I’m not selfish but please take care of every B out There no not just one but everyone who wears a b out There next I’d like to introduce uh friend of Gregs Billy Radford I want To want to start by saying how AR and I am to be here before y’all speak speaking today y’all know him as little y’all know him as Greg Mallen to his real close friends and family they know him as little G that’s what we always call them though he may not be
Blood but he was my brother and family we showed up by this love that we shared with each other to see his kids grow up to be the young lady and the young man that they are today he’s one of the first ones that’s to hold my wife and
My kids at the hospital after they was born we met almost 20 years ago at work we all worked at a boat company became friends there and realized we had a lot in common started hanging out you know doing things together started uh going out like to do boating
And just ride around and through the mountains and everything then we started going to church together not long after that I know Greg was really ready to meet Jesus because when he got saved we was there got to spend a lot of good time good memories with him at
Church and outside of church as well you know we spoke often wanting to be a police officer for years as we worked at at Mastercraft when you finally started on that Journey we all knew that he would be one of the best officers possible he loved people always had a smile
On smile or joke or a funny story to tell never met a stranger and you knew that whereever you went with him that you would find some want to talk to you love this friends like family know like I said We Are Family we love Ken Caden more than life itself then baby
Ella was a blessing on top of that Leah filled his heart and he was the uh happiest in his life that been in a while when he spoke of Le you could tell that we she that she was who he belonged with today is our chance to say thank you for
The way you brought in our lives even though God granted you but half half a life we will all feel cheated that you were taken from us and we must learn to be grateful that you came along at all now that you are gone we truly appreciate what you did we have
Allen despaired at our loss over the past few days and only the strength of your friendship has helped us to move forward to today now we know Greg was a very special person but he also had his only his own style outside of the uniform we call it the little G starter
Kit if he wasn’t at work his summertime needed a pair of slides cargo shorts and a muscle shirt you set to go oh yeah and a white ball cap some of his favorite things got a few more couple funny things to tell know most of Y officers seen him with a shaved
Head before that he had hair well little bit of hair he tried to keep it growing long you know to hide it so me and my wife we was on the way home from work one day we passed him down 411 I asked my
Wife I he’s in the G eat and top was off and everything I said did you see that and she said no what is it so I slowed down he caught back up with me and what Harry had grown it was sticking up like this so whenever he we slowed
Down and he I looked at him he knew what was looking at he gave me that mean look went and held his hair down so I wouldn’t laugh at him anymore he had a we go over their house for cookouts and birthday parties and everything he got to talking about one
Of these yard darts the old style with a metal tip on it and everything they outlaw them he wanted a set well he found a set on somewhere and he got them so is so we played yard dos for a long time where we go where we get to play
Yard darts with them or whatever we can do just sit around bonfires and just talk One More Story here you got some of y’all live around here we go to cage Cove there a little road grav a road across the Parson branch we’d go up there and he’d be in his
Jeep we’d have to we’d have to make sure we stay behind cuz he lik to get a little while there’s one area up there it turns back and it’s real wide he go up there and do donuts so you knew whenever we got close to it You’
Have to slow down he slang gravels all over us the kids they was little they be back here just laughing want to do more like to say he’s truly a friend he’s going to be missed like to finish by reading John 15:13 the greater love ha no man than
This that a man lay down his life for his friends and that’s what he did for us thank you next I would like to invite Greg Willis to the podium he was also a dear friend of Gregs this is a day I never thought would come for some reason I always thought
I’d go first I like Billy met little Greg at Mastercraft building boats we always had a lot of fun that little Greg he’s real jumpy we goug him every chance that we got so it wasn’t surprising if you got a A Lipa throwed at you a cut out sometimes
He he’d even flip your tools over in the floor just because you messed with him it grew quickly the friendship that he and I had they called him little G they called me Big G I don’t know why ain’t neither one of us buff of above
5’8 I might have been just a little heavier than he was we grew together quickly our children playing in diapers underneath church pews going playing in a mud hole if we could find one he like riding up o Wallen Highway he called let’s go snake hunt what that meant was whoever run
Over the most snakes W but what it really ended up in is US finding a mud hole somewhere I got to talking to Greg one day down at Mastercraft I pleaded with him to come with me go to church with me if you knew Greg before he knew the
Lord he was a rough character ain’t no tell him what he’d tell you or what he’d do whenever you offended him he said he’d come I got to be lucky enough to be on the altar beside him whenever he got saved got to see these babies ask the Lord to save
Them but you see Greg it goes a lot deeper with Greg I’d be deployed and he was one of the men that come to my house and took care of my two children took care of my wife watched after my home I couldn’t be there he was one of the men that stepped
In the gap for me whenever I needed somebody the most I could call on him and he’d always say big homie what do you need what’s going on I’ll be right there little does he know he’s still right there because it’ll never leave me it went far deeper than a than a
Brotherhood it went far deeper than a friendship but I know without a shout of a doubt one day that I’m going to see my friend again amen because of what he did a long time ago that’s right and what he and I shared that can never be broken that can never
Depart because it come from someone greater than me someone greater than him and that’s why we shared the love for each other that we had vacations church services reviv Bibles just sitting on my porch and just talk out in the garage working on things and him always accusing me of I don’t
Know why you’re doing that you’re just going to change it anyway he was my wiring technician because I’m horrible at wiring lot of precious memories we shared I’m going to miss him but I don’t find it shocking that he done what he done for his fellow
Officer because the truth of it is he’ do it for anybody in his room if you were In Harm’s Way he would stand In Harm’s Way for you even before he’ come a police officer that was just Greg he loved to laugh he loved to have fun but he loved to Serve and
Protect so whenever I got the call and I found out about him I wasn’t shocked to find out what had happened but in fact I can’t think of another way that he would have wanted to go out he went out doing what he loved that was his dream to be a police
Officer what more could you ask for to go out doing what you love and I’m thankful I know our our hearts ain’t the only one that’s heavy I know a lot of you that served with him and if you’ve known Greg I’m sure there’s a special place in
Your heart for for him he was just that kind of guy it’ll get easier how I don’t know CU I can’t rely on me there’s a hole in my heart that I truly feel will never be filled and I lost a friend beyond all friends but one
Day one day I’ll see my friend again thank You Sam was a carpenter 50 years heed out Blood swe and Tears one day he h his Hammer heed to do things he L what once was Sunday F now was seven days a week he told his wife to find me I’ll be down at theek cuz I don’t want to drive another I’ve worked hard to do my job and I did it
Well I’ve got the scar on these two hands that show I haven’t failed but I don’t want drive another na now she was a woman full of faith and old Sam was full of Pride and she knew that he had one more job to do before he died Easter Sunday roll
Around and a country Church search for the lost and Found oh s was there against his Will as a preacher spoke on calvary’s hill of how they took the master and they nailed him to a tree and you could hear old s crying as he fell down on his knees I don’t want to drive another I want to live my life for you I want to do it
Well you got the scars on your two hands that show where I have failed Lord I don’t want drive another nail I don’t want want to drive another name I want to live my life for you I want to do it well you got the scar on your two hands
That show where I have F Lord I don’t want to drive another Nail Next I would like to introduce uh blun County chaplain Roger Murphy join me prayer for just a second Lord take a look at us man we’re hurt and confused we don’t know what to say and we don’t know what to do with ourselves I just ask you to come join us
Here help us as we move through this we’re just we’re just a we’re just a empty pot need to be filled up by you I thank you Lord for your presence I pray that the words of my mouth the meditations of my heart would be acceptable in your sight oh Lord my
Strength and my redeemer Jesus name amen thank you for that Isaiah 6 verse 8 says this and then I heard the voice of the master say who shall I send who will go for us and I guess Greg said I’ll go send me and he signed
Up first time I ever laid eyes on him I was down at the training academy early on and I played a little game which one of these is not like the others because he stuck out like a sore thumb against the 12y olds and I thought I bet I bet there’s a
Story there I bet there’s a story about about him coming to law enforcement at this time in his life but but golly he signed up and there he went I talked to training academy and they said that Greg had a strategy y’all know him better
Than I do but he had a strategy going in fly as far under the radar as he could possibly fly make sense they said he tried so hard to fly under the radar he stood out and so his strategy kind of failed it’s kind of it’s kind of a a a
Amazing the second thing I ever noticed about Greg was that smile or whatever you call it I I’m not joking when I looked at him and saw that smile he looked just like a kid who had just popped a piece of candy in his mouth he wasn’t supposed to
Have you know what I’m talking about right or maybe he knew a little something that nobody else knew you just had that look but it was infectious and it somehow made him very uh approachable does that that make sense there’s just something about that uh as uh by the way he did know
Something that other people a lot of people don’t know we just heard about some of that on the job he was incredibly respected and as as these days have gone by I just started writing down some things that people started saying about Greg and here’s the words that they use to
Describe him I’m talking about over at the Sheriff’s Office nice kind solid steady respected loyal fun professional he lived with joy he lived with Integrity you know what he want a LIF saving Award right a big deal he put his life on the line mind for somebody he was a hostage
Negotiator added extra training and and some don’t know I guess that he recently gone through the interview process to become a crime scene investigator he’s going to get that job too that goals what a good cop what a good man what a good friend I’m going to I’m going to say
Something I hope I can speak for the family for a second they have been overwhelmed by the love from this blue family and for the family I want to say thank you thank you thank you you have no idea how this has sustained them thank you blue family thank you thank
You thank you for rap for wrapping them up in your arms and taking care of them they’ll never they’ll never forget get you for it it’s a big family isn’t it and mmy we’re we’re we’re all coming at Christmas let me say something to the family just you guys everybody else can
Listen for a second already told you this but they need to hear it when a when a man loses his wife he’s a widower and when a wife loses her husband the word for it is Widow and when a child lose their parents the word for it is Orphan but
There is no word in any language for parent who’s lost a child it’s they can’t make that word up because it’s too horrible to consider and so so for your for for your intense loss we we don’t understand but we love you and hurt with you it it’s it’s it’s almost U
Unspeakable old man did he love his mama he took her on ride alongs who does that had on come you had one coming up didn’t you you know why he did he wanted his mom to be proud of him and boy was she proud of him to the kids K Kelly your losses
Unbelievable but all the things that they’re saying about your dad and all the things that your blue family said about your dad I see that in you I see it in I I see it I have been Blown Away by your character and and and by how solid and loyal and
Kind the way you love that woman right there is unbelievable you know success always leads a trail it leads right back to Daddy and Mama thank you for investing in these guys we love you Leah you’re lost is different but my goodness of gracious how much this family loves you they have
Embraced you and loved you I can see why he picked you out I can see why he loved you and thank you for loving him can I tell you guys where your dad is right now if you wondered the Bible I was crystal clear on this pastor the moment life left his
Body he was escorted into the Heavenly realm from the day this no the moment this happened he’s not been alone he’s had an escort you saw it this morning it’s going to be a huge escort this afternoon he’s been escorted he’s never been alone but the escort into heaven woo
Son you know who’s up the front of line and all all your family that knew Jesus they standing there hey Greg and they’re embracing him but I also see all that line of fallen officers who understand and they cheer any in and there’s Jesus and I know Greg want to say
Something to him but he he can’t because Jesus is smothering him with love and his attention he’s home baby he’s home he’s home that moment that I that he got there his body was glorified I cannot wait for that because mine’s getting kind of wore out you know what I’m
Saying his body was glorified his body is vibrant it’s young it’s whole it’s perfectly designed for what’s next and that’s called eternity in the words my dispatchers sitting over here they would say 344 your status and he would say code for he good he’s good you know there’s no fear there
There’s no pain there’s no stress there no worries there’s no Darkness there’s no loneliness there’s no unresolved relationships there’s no unmet needs there’s there’s no Shadows there can’t be shadows because the whole place is lit by the glory of Jesus himself there were no Shadow for that we would not bring him
Back from that if we could and I’ll be honest with you he wouldn’t come because he’s home oh we’re going to miss him and how do I know this because the Bible is crystal clear about this and the testimony of what started down there in the grinding booth at Mastercraft and
Ended up on the altar of your church makes it crystal clear for those who know Jesus There Is No Death it’s just a transfer of addresses he’s just going to go somewhere else hey hey death now who’s scared of you what happened to you Stinger now there’s not
One I hope you can get some comfort from that he’s he’s good now I want to say something to the blue family y’all can listen several years ago many years ago my grandfather got shot he had a 17-year-old son my dad and through that event something happened the seeds of
Hate and anger and fear along with guilt and shame shame were planted inside my dad from that event and those things came together to become a grinding wheel and it ground and ground and ground and ground away chunks of his life some people in here they know what that’s
Like it Chun it ground away on relationships ground Away part of his fatherhood he became another a second victim and it chewed him up thankfully thank God he was finally released from that misery this is a long story I don’t have time to tell you but I do want to
Tell you my my my friends that evil is not done it wants more victims do you understand evil wants to bring to destroy more lives from this and we have to battle this kind of evil too everybody with me on this we have to battle this kind of evil well I know
You’re looking at me and go well well what what weapon do we draw for that what kind of weapon do we deploy against evil like that that wants to destroy more lives well let me read it to you out of the book that’s right it
Defines the weapon let me read it to you Romans 12: 21 don’t let evil conquer you you conquer Evil by anybody know the rest of that doing good the it sounds counterproductive because we want to battle it and fight it and shoot it but the but the weapon against evil is by doing
Good and you guys those badges from where we’re at they’re gleaming do you see them you guys do it every day every single day and I’m not talking about what’s on your body camera most of it nobody ever knows about it your boss or Sheriff never knows about
It when you pause I see you with children you take that extra moment because you see that admiration in their eyes I’ve seen it over and over how you take that moment with kids and you rub them on the head or get on a knee and
You talk to them and you spend a minute with them and you inspire them because they think you are the greatest thing in the world and you are because you’re good to those kids I’ve seen it I know how tough you think you are but you’re as soft as they
Come I’ve seen it when you go in your pocket Chief you know what I’m talking about you go in your own pocket and you bring out money and you just hand it around to some people who you don’t know you’re just trying to help I’ve seen you
Do it to help somebody or when you you’re going up the road and you just stop to help somebody you don’t have to do it did anyway I was going to the dump the other day and had a mattress blow off my truck where’s York blue lights popping behind me need some
Help we thumped that mattress back on there I tied it down better this time and I’m sure he went on and never thought another thing about it but I did nobody else stopped that’s called good that’s good that’s good my grandson who’s five years old he thinks that that officer Shane Collins
The marville police department is the greatest man that lives maybe besides me you know why cuz Shane takes a minute with him rubs him on the head and plays around with him a little bit he just takes an extra minute that’s good or when Chase brought the Bearcat to my
Grandson’s birthday party bet you didn’t know about that one Sheriff you see them little boys climbing all over it was unbelievable didn’t have to do that it took extra time to do that I’ve seen you when you put your arms around somebody and at a wreck or
When you hold a hand of an old person as they’re loading them up into the ambulance and I’ve seen you cry with victims of crime that’s doing good that’s doing good like coming over here from Dallas or New York or Connecticut or Chicago or Rockwood or Sweetwater or Knoxville those guys are
In this building now that’s doing good this goodness is behind the the badge it goes Way Beyond tactical or technique or shooting or handcuffs your goodness that you have is the greatest weapon ever deployed against evil it’s the greatest weapon ever designed keep fighting evil keep doing
Good Romans 8:28 says this all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose so we don’t understand it but there’s a plan at work here not sure where how to figure that plan out but I don’t I don’t quite understand
It but here’s how it works when death has come and taken our loved one it makes a home so lonely and Rear then do we Wonder why others Prosper living so wicked year after year but here comes the Hope farther Al will all understand it farther along will understand why cheer up my brother live in the sunshine will understand it all by by all right 3:4 before thank you you set a standard for
Us thank you for showing us away things will change because of you I guarantee you that and brother we’ll see you on the other side it’s better on the other side in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit amen When I get where I’m going on the far side of the sky the first thing that I’m going to do is spread my wings and fly I’m going to land beside a lion and run my fingers through his or I might find out what it’s like toy to drop a
Rain yeah when I get where I’m Going they’ll be only happy Tears I will shed the and struggles I have carried all these years and I leave my heart wide open I will love and have no Fear yeah when I get where I’m don’t cry for me down here I’m going to walk with my Grandaddy and he’ll match me step for step and I’ll tell him how I’ve missed He I get where I’m going there’ll be only happy te I will sh and Str I have cared all I leave my heart wide open I will love and have no yeah when I get where I’m going down so pain and so this world we stumble through all
These questions I can’t answer so much work to Do but when I get where I’m going and I see my Maker’s face I’ll stand forever in the light of his amazing Gra when I Get I’m be only happy te hallelu I will love and have no [Applause] fear going yeah when I get I’m Going Pastor James Willis share amen I tell you what uh when I know Hearts is breaking amen I can uh our heart is we got the pleasure of meeting Greg and it’s already been said uh amen we got to Mee him down at the church house amen at nro he got ordained
As a deacon the same time I got got ordained as a preacher and uh came to fell in love with him and he loved him loved his family we used to have uh Christmas together uh Thanksgiving uh I mean just a joy to be around him amen if
You knew him amen you loved him and uh but I tell you what uh told the family here the other night there Saturday night over at their house I I told them I said uh if you plan on being with Greg again you need to be saved you need to
Be born again because I tell you what what Greg done there at KN Road Missionary Baptist Church that Sunday whenever he went down to an altar uh called upon the Lord Jesus Christ amen ask him to come into his heart I tell you what it changed uh his destination
Amen just a few minutes on the altar of God I tell you what that’s what it’s all about uh amen changing amen our destination from Hell uh uh into glory land amen and I can’t do that on my own amen it takes the blood uh of Jesus
Christ amen he came to bleed and to die Amen to go to calvary’s cross that’s why our savior came here he come for one reason amen he didn’t come for two or three different reasons he come for one thing Amen to do the will of the father
Amen to come and to pay the blood atonement amen For All Mankind that we don’t have to die lost amen and go to a devil’s hell amen but I tell you what what he done on Calvary 2,000 some years ago he made a way brother amen for
Whosoever that we could be saved amen be born again and oh beyond a shadow of a doubt whenever this thing called life is over down here that we’ve got a better place amen son call it heaven but I tell you what amen if you’ve been saved by
God’s grace amen the blood has been applied to your heart amen you get to call it home amen and I’m glad today amen that I amen I’m born again amen a child of the living King amen child of God today and amen I get to call amen
Heaven my home and amen I’m going to get brother to see again son amen I know you will amen you saved ain’t you amen that’s what it’s all about amen it’s knowing that whenever this time comes amen and it’s going to come it’s going to come to each and every individual
Amen in the house today amen there’s only two brother that I’ve ever known to escape death amen one was Elijah and the other was Enoch amen everybody else amen had to go by the way of the Grave amen we’re going to go that way amen unless the Lord splits those Eastern Skies amen
Comes and gets us amen the Born Again believer amen that’s what it’s all about brother amen It Ain’t About Nothing Else amen it’s about amen getting ready for this high right here amen because we’re going to face it one day and who’s to say amen I won’t face it whenever I walk
Out them doors amen but if it comes to me brother amen I’m ready Amen to go that’s where the Hop’s at amen it’s not in this world it’s not in the bank account it’s not what you live in it’s not what you drive amen but it’s some
Blood amen of the Lord Jesus Christ being applied to your heart and soul amen that’s where we’ve got hope at today how tell people today they’ve got their hope Amen in the wrong things but I tell you what I’m glad amen I can call him my brother I tell you what I went
The same way amen I went I heard a man of God stand and preach me the word of God Amen he told me he said amen I heard it like K amen God getting lost amen whenever you get lost amen and you whenever god holds you over
But he don’t drop you amen then then you’ll know what to do amen you’ll have to preacher Amen to stand amen and preach too long amen whenever you get in no shape amen because you’ll fall out wherever you’re at amen and come down to
An alar of God Amen and call up on him amen the only one that’s able to save a soul from Hell amen and that’s Jesus Christ amen whenever he went to Calvary that day he went there they didn’t take his life he laid her down willingly he
Went to calvary’s cross for one reason to pay a sin debt that I ow to pay a sin debt that you owed but you know what we didn’t have nothing to pay with had nothing to pay with but he went and He Paid a Debt that he didn’t know
He paid her brother amen for one reason because back over in the beginning amen what Adam and Eve done over in the garden of guess over there Amen in the Garden of Eden amen sin came in this world and he said man is born of woman
Is a few days in full of trouble amen I tell you what you can look around in our world today and you can see the trouble amen that we’re in all over this world and Country today amen they’re calling evil good and good evil brother I tell
You what that’s why it pays today amen if you ain’t right with God Amen you need to be getting right with God because this day brother it’s a going to come amen ready or not it’s calling the save it’s calling the Lost amen and one
Thing it’s going to need to to be there whenever I see the blood he said I’ll pass over you amen and the blood’s the only thing that’s going to get you through the gate that’s the only thing silver and gold it’ll stay here huh but I tell you what whenever the death angel
He passed through Egypt he said whenever he passed through he’s looking for one thing and he said whenever I see the blood I’ll pass over you see that’s where the hope is he said preacher I wanted you to say this that or the other I tell you
What got to say what God says to say man I have to obey God rather than man H but I tell you what this where it’s all at I’m going to see him again he won’t be in this body here like you said there a minute ago brother one that’s going to
Ache and hurt and amen you wake up in the morning you see which muscles are hurting you the worst that day before you roll over uhuh he won’t be in that one but I tell you what there’s going to be a day coming I don’t believe we’re
Too far from that day he said where the Lord himself shall Ascend with a voice of an archangel and I tell you what he’s going to shout amen there’s going to be a trumpet sound so loud amen it’s going to Wake the Dead amen and he said but be
Not ignorant brother concerning them which are asleep amen right now he’s asleep amen with the Lord amen he’s at rest with Jesus but I tell you what he said it ain’t going to prevent him amen because whenever the Lord comes back to get to church amen those that are asleep
In the Lord amen he’s going to bring back with him they’re going to go back Amen to that body United amen and come out of there amen a glorified body amen and I tell you what whenever it’s all said and done that’s when it’ll pay off
Amen to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior that’s when it’s all going to matter and the world don’t want to hear this but I tell you what it’s the only thing that’ll keep a man woman boy or girl out of the pits of hell is the blood it’s just the
Blood being good is all right being moral is all right but it’s not enough he gave us the law The Ten Commandments over there it’s good to live with but it’s not good to die by uhuh he said it was weak and God sending his son in the likeness of sinful flesh
Condemned sin in the flesh that’s why Jesus come to pay the price that we owed but I tell you what whenever he went to Calvary amen I tell you I’m going to read this right here over in John chap 2 verse 19 he said Jesus answered and said unto
Them destroy this Temple and in three days I’ll raise it up they looked at him they misunderstood everything that our savior said that day they is looking at the temple it took them 46 years to build it over there and they said how in the world is he going to build it turnar
It down in 3 days and raise it right back up he wasn’t talking about that that what man made that wasn’t what he was talking about at all he was a talking about a day whenever he was going to go amen and suffer like no man’s ever suffered before ever Li at
The Devil could throw I throw at him brother he took it they took that cat of nine tails and they whipped him ripped the flesh right off the Son of God Amen they plucked his beard out they spit upon his face they done all these things
Amen the only thing that our savior was guilty of was loving a sinner that we don’t have to die and go to hell because of only thing he is guilty of but I tell you what whenever he went there he laid her down he carried his cross up goa’s
Hill that day and he lay it got so heavy he fell under the Lord of it and I tell you what amen I tell you what sin’s heavy H I tell you we’ll fall under the load of it but our savior went all the way to Calvary that day and he laid his
Life down and they put a nail in his hand they put one in this hand they put one down there in his feet and he hung between the heavens and the Earth amen until he died and he was As Dead As any man has ever died before our savior died
On Calvary that day but I’ve got good news you want to know where some hope is amen right here is where our hope is amen he didn’t stay dead and glory to God he ain’t going to stay gone neither he’s the coming back amen that get us
And take us home to glory amen only the on just got the blood applied it’s going to make the trip though H he went for one reason John over there he said he wet whenever he looked under the heavens and he looked under the Earth and they
Couldn’t find one that is able to go and loose the seals of this book they told him he said John weep not he said I found one Lord I’d make you want to shout huh there’s one that was able to go and loose the seals of this book right here that we
Could have the Everlasting gospel preached to us that we could be born again and know beyond a shadow of a doubt see I don’t hope I’m saved I don’t think I’m saved I don’t have to go ask my wife if I’m saved my mom and my dad they love me
Dearly because I tell you what they couldn’t save me they couldn’t do nothing for me but far as the Salvation part of it but I tell you what I got introduced one Sunday morning at nro Missionary Baptist Church brother Jerry little he stood and preached the word of God to me like I’m
Preaching here today and little and I know sitting 2/3 in the back of the congregation only reason I went to church at Sunday morning because there’s a boy that I coached football asked me to go little did I know though that Sunday morning God had a different plan for
Me he came looking for me I didn’t go looking for Jesus that Sunday morning but I tell you what he come looking for me that Sunday morning and I tell you what if anybody I tell you what whenever the Lord goes looking for somebody he’ll
Find you and he found me in a shape amen where everybody needs to be before they get saved he found me lost and on my way to hell but I’ve got good news for you today my destinations changed amen I tell I ain’t going to hell I couldn’t go
To hell if I wanted to amen and I don’t want to amen because I’ve heard amen about the streets of gold amen walls of Jasper Gates of pearl amen I seen amen I’ve read in the word of God Amen about God’s Throne amen there’s a rainbow amen
Above it amen and what I’ve read about amen he said eyes not seen uh neither is ear heard neither has it entered into the hearts of men the things that God has prepared for his children amen so I’m glad today I’m saved I’m glad I’m going to get to see him again
I know we hurt and I know you Ain going to miss him I know you loved him I know he loved young but boys I tell you what this ain’t the end preacher I come up under he said this right here he said death is just a
Doorway if you’re saved you’ve been born again and you know that your name’s recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life if you know that that’s where it’s all going to matter that’s where it’s all going to pay off at friend I know our hearts are going to miss him
Cayen son I know y are going to miss him K Leah mom my know you are going to miss him there’ll be days out in front you’ll just wish you could pick up a phone and call him talk to him just to hear his voice again but I tell you what there’s a
Better day yet to come and the only way you’re going to get there friend I’m telling you it’s through the blood you won’t make the trip no other way we love you and Jesus loves you he loves you so much that he laid his life down
Willingly he said for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son he gave him freely knowing that what man was going to do to him he said it’d be handed over in the hands of sinful men it’s what we are we’re just old
Sinners SA by the grace of God’s all I am I ain’t no different no better than anybody ain’t nobody ain’t no big eyes little You’s in here brother said at one time all heads is level at the foot of the cross huh we’re all the same in God’s
Eyes and the one thing he’s going to look for whenever it comes to this time right here I’m sure Greg that day whenever he went to work I’m sure he wasn’t looking for saying well today is the day God’s going to call me home he wasn’t looking for for
That I don’t know when God’s going to call me home either it could be whenever I walk out these doors back here it could be saying all right son it’s your time to go but I’m ready for it I’m ready if the Call Comes Today job said he’ll call and I’ll
Answer his call come here the other night Jesus called him home son I’m going to see him again we’ll meet him again there’ll be a reunion one day take place and we’ll be in a land where we’ll never say goodbye again there won’t be no dying
There there won’t be no crying he said for God himself will wipe all tears from our eyes down here we cry because we have sorrow we have pain we have these things but there’s going to be a day coming where Jesus is going to wipe all tears
From our eyes and there will there be no more crying they ain’t a tombstone one in glory land cuz there’s no DME going to be there he said old things are passed away behold All Things become new so the best is yet to come if you’re saved if you’re not saved
Though make plans to be ready he said today is the day of salvation tomorrow’s not promised we don’t know if tomorrow will come or not who in here right now in her sound of my voice could say I I’m going see you tomorrow with 100% assurity is anybody can anybody do
That not one of us can but I can take you by the hand brother you don’t know me at all probably never seen me for but I can take you by the hand right here this today and I can affirm assure you that I’ll be in glory one day my life down here’s
Over I can firmly assure you that I’ll be with Jesus when it’s over here and I don’t down the line I can take you by the hand I’ll be with Jesus now Shake huh can you do that I can go right on Down the Line Roger you say preacher this is a funeral
N this is a celebration of life that I brother live but I can celebrate the life that he live CU I know one day after a while I’m going to meet up with him again but I can go right on down the line I can tell you I’m going to be with
Jesus not of work lest any man should B but it is a free gift of God it’s a free gift and for that gift it’s offered and it’s offered for whosoever you can be the vest sinner they are and ever walk a face of this Earth and Jesus died for
You that you could be saved that you could be born again he told Nicodemus just as straight as any man’s ever told him he said Marvel not Nicodemus you must be born again you must be born again I had a birth in 1976 by marrying CA Willis in blun Memorial
Hospital don’t remember nothing about it but whenever I was 23 years old whenever I was telling you about whenever brother Jerry preached that message that Sunday morning I’ve had a birth that I can’t remember but that birth on that Sunday morning I tell you what I ain’t got over
It because I got born again huh and because of the first birth it don’t really matter that much but that second birth is one it really matters because of that second birth that’s why I get to go to be with Jesus whenever it’s all said and
Done and that’s the only way to get there is through the blood If Heaven’s real you believe Heaven’s real just as sure as I’m standing here in front of you right now Heaven’s real and If Heaven’s real then there is a Hil a literal burning
Hail he said the rich man died and he said in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment and he prayed you know what they’re doing in hell right now they’re praying what they should have done on this side of Eternity they’re doing it in hell now but they waited too
Late and he said they’re praying he said he prayed that that he’ send Lazarus over that he may dip his finger in water and just touch the tongue of him for his tormented in his flame so that’s where it’s at that’s where reality is that’s where it R meets the road so to
Speak If Heaven’s real then hell is real but hell wasn’t prepared for man it’s prepared for the devil and his angels is who it’s prepared for so if you go to hell you’ll go over what I’ve preached to you here today you’ll go over the blood that
Jesus shed on Calvary 2000 some years ago and you’ll go over the death the burial and the resurrection of what Jesus done and he done it for all of us don’t go to hell friend he said make your calling election here I’m trying to
Shut up I am I’ll be done here in just a minute but he said make your calling an election sure Greg made his call election sure was he perfect no am I perfect no nobody else in here is neither but I tell you what it was all
Because of what Jesus done for him on that day on the altar he said ‘ I’ll stand at your heart’s door and he said ‘ I’ll knock he said If any man opens that door see the door knob whenever Jesus is knocking on your heart’s door the door knobs on the
Inside you’re the one will have to make the decision to let him in and accept him preacher I’ve gone too far no you ain’t if you’d went too far God wouldn’t be dealing with you God wouldn’t be talking to you I’m talking to somebody
I ain’t very smart but I tell you what I know what the holy spirit of God feels like friend don’t leave this Walk of Life without knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that you’re ready I love you I really do I love you family I know your dad loved you he
Loved you he loved you Mom friends he loved you I know it’s hard to say goodbye like I said this ain’t it’s just for a little while and we’ll meet him again take his the heart what I told you I told you the truth it’ll be either a testimony for
You or it’ll be a testimony against you one or the other Jesus loves you and he come here for one reason to pay a debt that we all owed and he paid it in full that day on Calvary and he be seated right this second right now on the right hand of
The father for one reason to make intercession for you and me he loves you he banked her up to heaven that day whenever he came here just for us that we could be saved amen appreciate you appreciate the Lord we love you thank you Pastor at this time I’d
Like to introduce uh Sheriff Jimmy Davis of lden County he is going to uh go through the presentation of the flags thank you chief sheriff Chief’s blun County Sheriff’s Office to the family I’d give my sincerest condolences from myself my staff at Sheriff’s Office and the
Community that we serve you have in our prayers a couple of years ago lost an officer on February 3rd Sergeant Chris Jenkins at our Sheriff’s Office we had an idea to have multiple Flags given for the family so those very close to him could have a flag that they
Could remember him by uh we’ve decided with the Sheriff’s Office to do that again today also Kate I should have listened to that first song All The Way way through you got me on that one so the first flag we’d like to present is the flag Greg’s
Flag was placed on him in Blunt Memorial Hospital during his transportation to the regional forensic Center that flag we call the agency flag and it will be donated and given to sheriff James Lee bong of the blun County Sheriff’s Office and presented by the maral police chief Tony J Chris for
On behalf of a great formation grateful State grateful community and the men and women of the law enforcement community it’s my high honor and pleasure to present you with the first flag that draped our fallen Deputy Greg mcau secondly flag number two is Greg’s flag that traveled with him from the regional
Forance center to Smith Funeral Home that would be presented to his mother or mamy Elizabeth talby presented by Blunt County Sheriff’s Office Second Shift Lieutenant James Wilson for for for thirdly is a flag that traveled with Greg from Smith Funeral Home to Safir Heights Baptist Church recipient exg fiance
Leah presented by Blunt County Sheriff’s Office second shift Sergeant Chris Carter for for our last flag today here will be the flag the travels with Greg last night from s Heights Baptist Church back to Smith Funeral Home presented to his son Kaden Macau the presenter is Blunt County
Sheriff’s Office deputy and good friend of Gregs Richard Mitchell for for the final flag of the day is Greg’s burial flag that’ll be presented at the graveside to his eldest child Kaylee from the sheriff of Blunt County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff James Lee Baron at the graide thank you God bless you I know your life on Earth was troubled only you could know the pain weren’t afraid to f the devil were no strange to the Rain Go Rest High On That Mountain son you on Earth is done go to Sh love for the Father and the son oh how we cried the day you left us gathered round your grace to G wish I could see Angels faces when they hear your sweet voice sing Go Rest High on you work on Earth is done go Toen sh love for the Father and son [Applause] Oh Oh Go Rest High On That Mountain son you on Earth is go [Applause] to sh love for the Father and the son go to sh love for the father Land Lastly I’d like to introduce my boss my friend and my mentor and my Sheriff James LeBron I had a few things prepared I just left them back there I just there’s not the words that can come out of my mouth or the actions that I do
Up here that will ease the burden on the family tonight I was notified that I was in Murph sporo Tennessee fortunately had a state agency that helped get my myself a chief prin and others back I’m still in a shock still in a void and the more I see the family the
More I cry can’t imagine I really really can’t he was such an asset the black County Sheriff’s Office his asset he East Tennessee air Community you know get someone that would come in at 39 or whatever he came in I think 2020 started a year before
That he was reserved he took a pay cut substantial pay cut because he had a passion he wanted to serve the community he wanted to make a difference and there’s no doubt in my mind that he did the stories we here to win a a life-saving w shows his commitment and
Dedication and sacrifice he was willing to make to help someone else he did it the other night he’s faced with a tragic set of circumstances that he could not control at the end he wasn’t alone out there that night had a deputy in the audience that with
Him you had heard a lot about her you heard me talk a little bit but she acted her training kicked in her professionalism kicked in and her courage kicked in she did whatever she could do she did as much as she could do to get to him to render
Aid she was concerned she was shot in the leg putting in a turnick and on herself but you hear she wanted to get to him that’s love that’s commitment that’s courage and I know she’s bleeding I know she’s I don’t know have the words
Deputy edar I don’t mean to put you on a spot would you stand up thank you you I’ve got to tell me you know what to do most times I’m the sheriff they still tell me what to do and I guess I need it they think I do I greatly appreciate it so
I’m going to go off just a second just for a couple minutes ship 2 is so close they’re they close and they bond and then I’ve noticed that more in the last few days and I I really realized but see them together support each other support the family they’re
Here Sergeant Carter would you just say just a couple minutes please sir if if that’s not putting you on the spot would you mind to come up here I want to turn it over I I he deserves better than me and you can do the job a lot better because we love
Greg I didn’t have much time to prepare so stand by so when I found out that I was going to speak my stomach dropped and the reason for that is I’m not known to be very eloquent as a matter of fact I’m a man of few words unlike my
Lieutenant I also don’t show my emotions very well you can ask my exes or s for several here tonight but even though I don’t express my emotions very well I can tell you that I am absolutely devastated as a supervisor my number one job is to protect my people and give
Them what they need that night I fa K Greg I wasn’t there when he needed me but Greg as always was there when someone needed him whether he was helping you fix your car or watch your back on a call he was always there Greg’s death has left a huge wounded on this
Family on my agency and on this community it will never heal it will scab over and we’ll move on because that’s what we have to do and that’s what Greg would want but it will never heal ma’am Greg will be greatly missed but I can I can promise you as
Long as I’m alive he will never be forgotten I love you brother thank you Sergeant please forgive me I know you’re a big ma big man uh the support we’ve had through this and then a lot of critical instances end where it started this did not I know the
Family had to go through a lot us updating them I made you a commment and a promise and with a lot of help from a lot of different agencies I fulfilled that I did not want to step on this stage without without him in custody that’s not going to Rel a lot B
Relieve with that burden thank you for sharing him with us you ought to be so proud so we are and you’re going to feel like you’re alone but you’re not I’m talk about there’s always going to be somebody around you second shift stand up I want you to look behind you you’re all
Alone long handy Sheriff’s Office employees stand up up second shift look behind you you’re not alone and never will be I’m proud of Greg I’m proud of each and every one of you thank you family from the bottom of my heart I love you [Applause] this time I’d like to have the Paul
Bears come up for for officers [Applause] I Officers arms for for e for off Arthur bcos so employees may follow the family we would ask that the rest of you uh remain in here for a short period until we get the families and the bcso employees in the procession if you wouldn’t mind thank you Cing this for you we are going to continue covering the procession these processions are important it gives the entire Community a chance to show support for a Fallen Hero and that’s that’s what’s about to happen we’re going to do that on wvlt CBS coming up in just a moment glad you’re with Us thanks for being with us today on wvlt news as we honor a Fallen Hero Blunt County Sheriff’s deputy Greg maowen is laid to rest today his funeral just wrapped up uh they did the Paul Bears brought his body to the hearse the procession is going to form over the
Next several minutes they’re going to take the hearse and the procession and it’s going to be a big one down Alcoa Highway eventually making its way to Grand View Cemetery in marille and this is a chance for people to line the roads to show their support to pull their
Vehicles over to show their support to unify as East Tennessee to recognize that a hero Has Fallen and everyone shows the respect that this person in his family and his law enforcement family deserve and the um Community really has asked how they can support and you mentioned this this is a
Way that people can pay tribute to this family to this Fallen Hero and we see this is a live shot right now of the parking lot in the church and there’s not a single empty space there of course you see the American flag hanging on top
Of um that parking lot there and we have watched the procession route growing in support and hundreds of people are starting to pour in and line the streets as we will follow for you we have Crews alongside the entire route starting at the church at severe Heights Baptist
Church which is where we just saw uh saw outside all the way to Grand View Cemetery in maraville um and we will be following that route for you live a lot of fascinating information coming out of the funeral today some of his best friends had a chance to share some
Stories about little G they called him little G or or little Greg this has been a a a story of an officer and his family and the family wants privacy more than anything they do want friends loved ones family to be able to honor this Fallen
Hero but they want as much privacy in this as they can get so cameras with the exception of the cameras inside the Church which are the church’s own cameras for that funeral cameras are being kept at a respectful distance so they don’t really have to see them they
Don’t want to see the news cameras is they’re taking their loved one their dad their fiance their grandpa their son to his final resting place and the same is said for the side of the burial gr View Cemetery there will be no cameras there that will be a private event but what is
Public is what you’re looking at right now and it’s the procession we have seen seen people lined up for half hour almost an hour now they’re waving their Flags they’re waving their Thin Blue Line respecting police enforcement flags as well they’re on overpasses they’re on safe portions of the of the busy roads
Along the Route many of them are probably saying I thought the procession was going to start at about 2:00 uh the funeral just ended a few minutes ago and it’s going to take 20 to 30 minutes probably for the procession to form so if you’re somebody who’s
Watching this right now and you know some family members who are waiting on the bridge text them call them tell them to be patient because this procession is coming and this is going to be a chance for people to pay their respects and we have learned so much over the past
Several days we’ve learned about who Deputy maowen was as an officer we learned that he received a lifesaving award for rescuing a man inside a burning car he was credited by the sheriff for saving this man’s life and this all comes in his very short time with the sheriff’s department he joined
In 2020 the sheriff mentioned it’s not very often that you get someone who is about 39 years old who wants to take a pay cut from their previous career to come and join the Sheriff’s Office his family said that he was living his life’s dream and becoming an officer
Took a pay cut to do this job but they said this was what he wanted to do so we have learned a lot about who he was they said that he was somebody who was full of life always had a smile on his face we have learned that over the last
Several days but today we got to see who he was as a friend as a father as a grandfather as a brother we learned a lot about about him through the people who spoke the people who were closest to him today learning like you said that he
Went by the nickname little G and there was also a big G who we heard from today um how close this unit was and he was really a core member in that the focal point if you will bringing all of these people together someone who um they
Looked up to someone who was fulfilling his duty the sheriff said that he lived a hero and ultimately died a hero but that the family will never be alone they will never be forgotten that there will always be someone who will carry on his legacy his memory that they will always
Carry him with them forever and uh the family feeling that support today like you mentioned Ted they do want their privacy so of course we are respecting those wishes but certainly what a privilege that we get to learn so much about who this person was as a man the
Funeral started at 1 it lasted almost two hours Governor Lee was the first speaker a couple of Deputy macau’s best friends got up and spoke as well Billy Radford Greg Willis they met making boats at Mastercraft they worked there for a long time talking about the change
That came in Deputy mowen’s life when he got saved they said at at their church and what a different man he was in his last years of life but what started this today was the deputy Shelby erses she was also with Deputy Macau when they were shot she was injured this was
Thursday this was 6 days ago and here today she opened this funeral by singing the National Anthem sooud we The Who broughts and through the the RS we were Together roet red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh say does that star strangle B yeah Away for the land of the free and the home of the Bra as Deputy Shelby Edgars the woman who got shot at the same time as deputy maowen he was killed she was injured and she sang the national anthem to start the funeral today you saw in some of those crowd shots hundreds of people in that church severe Heights Baptist right
On Alcoa Highway if you’re driving from downtown to the airport it’s it’s the biggest church you’ll see on your left down Alcoa Highway massive church and it was full the parking lot is full uh as well as as many people consider themselves family even if they’re not
Related by blood to this officer who was shot and killed last Thursday you mentioned Deputy Shelby Edgars who was shot singing the National Anthem today just 22 years old yeah and that is just tremendous um we do have live Crews who are outside of the church and lining the
Procession so we want to go outside give you a picture of what is happening outside of the church with our Jared Austin Jared you’ve really had a front row seat to watch all of this unfold today it’s pretty moving stuff it really is you know you just
Hear everybody talk when it comes to a speak a pastor now there’s speaker and then the sheriff and then of course really close friends all just talking about how great of a person Deputy macowan was and it’s really emotional I mean like you guys had said several
People in there it was a full house inside the church we’re kind of getting a glimpse of that now as everybody’s now coming out at once we do want to show you just this parking lot right now I mean you really can’t see an empty spot
In this area at all it just flooded with cars from law enforcement across the state then you also have friends and family all packed in here as they get ready to set up to get out of here and head to the Grandville Cemetery down in Blunt County um you know one thing that
Really stuck out to me is the friends is talking about him calling him little G like Ted and Britney had said sharing those good times and also knowing like it wasn’t by Blood but he was their brother to them and they really really stressed that of course getting very
Emotional about that talking about their brother in that capacity we’ll actually keep it right here so we can see the American flag over on the left that is there’s actually a road leads right there the hearse will drive right underneath that so we will be able to
See that as well but where we’re at we will be able to show you the beginning of the procession as it gets down to Blunt County guys I will say this they did tell us it take about 30 to 40 minutes to get everybody out of here and
On to Alcoa Highway to head south so this all just ended now it could still be quite some time until we see cars leaving this parking lot guys and that is what we expected that there would be several minutes between when uh the procession was actually ready to begin
But already we are seeing hundreds of people lining Bridges holding American flags lining that procession route this is a community it’s included in this community who is not fully healed from doing this just a few months ago with u Deputy Tucker Blakeley in the Knox County Sheriff’s Office so this is quite
Piercing for a lot of people who feel like they need to come out and show their support we saw the depth of that with the full church today and then with all of the speakers starting with Governor Billy who said to the family speaking to them directly we know this
Person as someone who has chosen to protect him to protect us rather you know him as a father a grandfather a son a loved one and we are the beneficiaries of his decision to go into public service to go into law enforcement to protect us and we will be the
Beneficiaries of that from here on out the governor saying to us he’s a hero to you the family he’s much more than that and because of his heroism you have to feel the pain just shows you the sacrifice that our First Responders are are military members are
Willing to make in order to keep everyone else safe and this is going to bring probably thousands of people out to line the procession route across East Tennessee it’s about a 14 almost 15 Mile Drive it would take 20 24 minutes uh at regular speed will’ll find out how
Quickly they go now they will end up at Grand View Cemetery in Mar and at that point this event will become a private event for the family you can see the people that are lined up and one of the earlier shots that we had that we put up
During the funeral was I think where our will Pucket is in Blunt County and there were we counted almost a 100 people in that one spot over the course of a couple of intersections let’s find out from will what people are saying what they’re thinking what’s the mood near
Near where you are right now will well Ted and Britney I would say 100 people is conservative at this rate I’d be willing to say we’ve reached a couple of hundred maybe even about a thousand or more lined up against Lamar Alexander Parkway and I’ll walk out of
The shot so you all can see everyone lined up I’m told that when you get to the cut off from Hall Road to turn right to go down to downtown maraville or left to come onto Lamar Alexander past the Justice Center and past Blunt Memorial Hospital there are even more people
Tucked back up along Hall Road as you work your way back into maraville and Alco we’ve been out here since just before noon really about 11:00 and since then there’s been a steady stream running past his Cruiser Deputy macau’s Cruiser which still sits out the blunt count outside the Blunt County Justice Center
This afternoon but really within the past hour hour and a half folks have come here folding chairs families children people coldblooded Americans is what I’ve been told coming out here to pay their respects to a man that Protected Their Community I talked with a mother mother and son just before our
Noon show got underway and they said that Deputy maowen was involved in patrolling their part of Blunt County and they told me he was a man yeah that wore a badge on his chest but when it got down to it he was just like all of
Us he talked with them about dirt car racing about NASCAR racing and he was a man who would go out of his way to help them any possible way that he could Deputy Edgars his partner was also a part of that help and they were just two
PS in pod and really worked really well together and helped out other community members who didn’t necessarily know Deputy maowen say I have a son I have family members who serve in law enforcement or who have served in law enforcement and while I’m coming out here to honor deputy maowen and his
Sacrifice I’m also coming out to honor everyone who wears that badge and serves our community that is East Tennessee and T britty you all mentioned it it hasn’t been long since we did this for a Knox County Sheriff’s deputy and it looks like we’re right back in the exact same
Place but as we learn nearly every time that we do this East tennesseans love the men and women who serve them in uniform and they’re thankful they’re honored and quite quite frankly many of them tell me they’re blessed to live in East Tennessee and blessed to be able to
Honor these men and women like Deputy Greg maau like they’re getting ready to do right now anticipation relatively a little high right here emotion definitely high as people expect to see Deputy maowen make his final ride again from severe Heights Baptist Church all the way past us here at the Justice
Center to his final resting place at the cemetery just about a mile from where I stand right now Ted Britney that I mean even just in the few minutes that you’ve been talking will we’re seeing those crowds growing and we’ve just been so impressed with the number I mean it’s just several people
Deep schools getting out early today so families can in fact go to this event this is something people as we can see are really passionate and dedicated to showing up so we’re seeing children their schools of course getting out early uh families ready to support government offices and some cases have
Been closed for the last two days so people in the community can go and pay their respects we’re seeing Governor Billy ordered the flags to be flown at half staff that also is something that we’re seeing at the state capital so the support also pouring into Middle
Tennessee um but also the thing that’s been the most touching Ted is is just learning about who Deputy maowen was in his family hearing from his friends who were calling him such a dedicated friend the sheriff was saying that you’re a good cop but you’re a good man um his
Family saying that he was known for his contagious smile for his love of his family that’s how he’ll be remembered somebody who enjoyed Dirk track racing traveling being out on the boat riding motorcycles restoring old cars and Mustangs and this is some someone who we’ve mentioned this but was really on
Uh his second career uh going into joining the Blunt County Sheriff’s Office at 39 years old and I I we learned today took a pay cut to go do that so something he clearly uh was was very passionate about and protecting others and that is the way that he will
Be remembered by so many who knew him well and those as we see most of the people lining the streets here who didn’t know him at all but feel connected to him yeah he worked at Mastercraft uh before he decided he was going toight follow his dream and be an
Officer and a couple of his buddies got up and spoke during the funeral Billy Radford and Greg Willis Billy said he knew that Deputy mcau will be the best officer possible because of the way he loved people and he thought he would make just the perfect officer Greg
Willis said he was not shocked to find out what happened on Thursday night when deuty mcau was shot and killed he said he can’t think of another way that maau would want to go but doing what he loved and trying to help people said he was a rough
Character before we got saved so we’re hearing some really interesting things about uh Greg Macau about the deputy uh he was a rough character but then he said he was the guy that that Greg Willis would trust to take care of his family in his home when he was
Deployed um it sounded like from his Pastor that that Deputy Macau actually became a deacon at his church not too long ago and he was trying to advance his career with the Sheriff’s Office he’d already won a life-saving award he was a ho hostage negotiator and trying
To advance to a crime scene investigator and another thing that uh his chaplain said that the deputy was about to take his mom Along on another ride along in his Cruiser on one of his shifts um always wanting to have his family close his two daughters his granddaughter and
His fiance apparently they they they say he meant everything to him that was something that was really touching when we learned about that that was something that he enjoyed doing that he really uh that he and his mom he his mom would come with him for ride alongs um that
That really stood out to me as well and um that coming from the the Blunt County Sheriff’s off office chaplain Roger Murphy shared the story and he he said it was because he wanted his mom to be proud of him to see this new career to
See this new man who he had become and he wanted her to be proud of him and said that they had another long ride along that was planned for not too far from now and and really taking a moment today to talk to the parents who lost a son today
It’s I hate to say it’s easy to overlook that loss right but we do talk about children who lost parents spouses who lost um their partner but he did take some time today to recognize the parents who also um who lost a son and that one just was
Incredibly piercing and and painful to to dip into what that must be like for the parents but um some healing and who he was and how he will be remembered as uh now we’re starting to see people leave the church and it looks like the procession that is likely the procession
It’s leaving now yeah the motorcycles that’ll be leading the procession there’ll be a lot of vehicles behind it uh the hearse will be there as well and why do we have these processions we have processions for funerals uh whether it’s it’s a hero a first responder who died
In the line of duty or just one of us we have processions so that people can show their respect that’s why one reason you are supposed to pull over when you see one of these and stay pulled over to show respect for the family of the
Person who is in that hearse and there will be plenty of times folks when we’re not going to talk uh when we’re just going to watch what’s happening happen and a lot of that has to do with showing respect for Deputy maau who is inside the hearse that we will be seeing here
Soon it’s incredible to see how many people are showing up for this procession because it is considerably long in in the length they’re starting here at severe Heights Baptist Church which is just off Alcoa Highway you’ve probably passed it before you know what we’re talking about here but a large
Church in Knoxville and then it will travel all the way into maraville um for a private burial the 15 Mile Drive about 15 that could that could take some time um and and we’re seeing every pocket that we have Cruise alongside this route is is considerably deep in how many
People are showing up and that doesn’t paint the full picture but it does give you a glimpse into how many people are here showing their support and um and and you can see just how how many Cruisers we see oftentimes other law enforcement agencies come in to show
Their support and also to help in the duties and right right that doesn’t stop just because they’re all here today so we have lots of other agencies from all across East Tennessee and Beyond who are offering their support whether it be today and had here we’re watching the
The procession that is just now you can see the cars pulling over as the procession route is beginning and this is going down Al COA Highway it’ll go to Hall Road uh get off on tuichi Pike and that will eventually lead to the cemetery and and we will be able to show
You uh pretty much the entire route um guys in the back if we can let’s hear what the governor had to say at the beginning of this funeral as we watch the live pictures of what’s going on he is a hero and a law enforcement
Official and a leader to all of us in Tennessee but to you he is a dad he is a son he is a loved one and and we did cut out of the governor just because right now you can see see there is the hearse That’s got to be close to a 100 motorcycle officers many other vehicles showing Force showing support that’s one thing funerals are for to give the family and loved one some closure that their loved one is gone but also if you paid attention to what happened during the funeral the support that that family
Heard that they are going to be remembered that they’re going to be taken care of that they’re not going through this alone that has to lift them up so much one of the things that that we learned from Greg Willis who was a friend who spoke today a close friend he
Was actually the Big G Big G we learned Deputy maowen his nickname with friends and family was little G so we heard from Big G today he said I’m not sure why I’m G both 58 right so um just getting an Insight of the humanity there but he
Said that uh Greg mowen was the kind of person the kind of friend who if you called and said hey I need something he said whatever you need I’ll be right there he said that was almost the tagline whatever you need I’ll be right there and Greg Willis’s friend today
Saying that he probably never knew how deep those words would go because even now even today that he is not here with us on Earth anymore that he is still right there and he will always be right there just an Insight on who he was For Listening to his friends it it really did sound like Deputy Macau was just a regular guy they said he was rough character before he got saved then he did everything he could just to help people became a deacon at his church what did they do they said uh sometimes
He would call up and say let’s go snake hunting and and basically snake hunting just meant let’s go find some mud to Jeep in and uh they you know boat racing and and and anything to do with with motorized vehicles dirt track racing all these kind of things and and he he built
Boats he worked at MasterCraft for a number of years and uh eventually quit to follow his dream which was this and he was a very short time on the job doing what he loved to do and lost his life last Thursday and really just getting started
We’re also learning a little bit more of the fuel behind some of his career goals that he had just been trained as a hostage negotiator that that had just recently happened and that he was going through training to be a crime scene investigator so clearly someone who was
So driven to continue to learn more okay I’ve got this now I want more I got this now I want more and had only been with blun County Sheriff’s Office since 2020 and was a reservist before that so getting into this career deciding this was something in fact that he wanted to
Do I’ve said this before but just took a pay cut to be able to protect us to protect our families to be on the streets to make sure that we stay safe and I think that sentiment is really what is making people show up today we’re seeing people standing alongside
The procession routes that that number every time we come back to it is growing and growing and growing and we’ve seen Savannah I’m not sure if we can take if we have it accessible to take a shot of the memorial whenever uh it’s appropriate to see his um his patrol car
That has been out for several days and the messages the tributes the flowers the the letters that children have wrote that continues to grow um it is an enormous impact on this community that is still healing from the loss of Deputy Tucker Blakeley just a few months ago
What we’re looking at now is Alcoa Highway this is the tale maybe not even the end this is maybe the middle of the procession that’s going down Alcoa Highway while we wait for our next shot is this now a good time guys as we look at the memorial go ahead and get the
Governor ready to go again let’s listen to what the governor had to say during the funeral as soon as everybody’s ready to to to put that in and look at all those people that the crowd just keeps growing maybe thousands of people right now just in that several intersection
Area there in front of the blood County Sheriff’s Office he is a hero and a law enforcement official and a leader to all of us in Tennessee but to you he is a dad he is a son he is a loved one and for you this goes Way Beyond just being a
Hero some of the other things that the governor said you suffer the most talking about his family and his loved ones because he was a hero a dad a son a loved one let’s take a look at how many people are are still out there lining the
Lining the roads and here now this is still Alcoa Highway um and it’s by topside Road uh and you can see there’s traffic flowing on Alcoa Highway uh what we don’t see perhaps enough of is people pulling over um there’re supposed you are supposed to pull over when you see a
Procession like this perhaps out of respect they’re waiting to actually see the hearse let’s hope that’s the case both directions yeah both directions you’re supposed to pull over when you see people some of the people are stopping and now we’re starting to see some more lights com through yeah this
Is following the funeral today the funeral for Deputy Greg mcau started at about 1:00 a number of speakers a lot of music was played um a lot of emotion and a lot of it was happy people were celebrating his life celebrating the fact that his friends were all saying
They know where he is right now they said he was ready to meet Jesus and they are going to meet him there one day too so this was one of those funerals that despite the fact that he died at such a young age with daughters and a granddaughter people were still
Celebrating what he had accomplished and they were saying they’re celebrating where he is now yeah leaving behind two children a young granddaughter a fiance both parents uh a lot of people today speaking directly to those family members who he left behind which I think is just a testament to um How Deeply he
Was loved and how good of a friend he was that those those friendships went uh Beyond just the confines of being at work um we learned today from a friend Billy Radford who said we worked together for a long time then he kind of got them into church they went to church
Together for a long time and that um Greg maowen was one of the first people who came to the hospital to hold their children when they were born that’s a good friend that is a good friend and and when people can say something like that about you uh at your funeral you
Know you’ve made a massive impact and the showing of power power the showing of force the the showing of support of all these officers from all over East Tennessee now of course Blunt County most represented because he is one of their own but for law enforcement everywhere Deputy McOwen is one of their
Own this is tremendous couple hundred there’s a couple hundred motorcycles there as it as it rolls down Alcoa Highway heading towards the cemetery for the burial for the deputy we expect that to take um quite a while it’s about what you say 15 it’s about a 15 mile drive
It’s a 24 25 minute drive unless you’re going the speed that they’re going and they’re going probably half the speed limit or so right now so and you can see even if you look at the bottom of your screen some people lining up behind the barricade of course the Sheriff’s Office
Having to say this is a pretty busy route typically we want you out there so yeah but be safe but be careful where you stop so the overpasses have been busy areas like this where there’s some construction help look like good areas for you to stop if you can find a place
To park and if you’re saying well can I get out there if you are in the second half of this route you do have a chance to get out there and and and show your support and honor this Fallen Deputy family is asking though for a private
Burial they had a receiving of friends yesterday a more intimate setting and of course we are um happy to honor the family’s request of course that’s why our cameras in some cases are a little bit further back so um of course that is top priority for us but uh the burial is
Is going to be a private ceremony that’s where they’re heading right now he is recognized with full law enforcement honors which so there will be some more ceremonial Traditions that happen when they get to the Cemetery grounds today the burial grounds which is where they’re heading right now so we expect
To see some of that taking place but the burial is primarily focused on family and friends in a more intimate setting looks like this is um still right in the middle of of this procession route just right around the bend at Alcoa Highway you may be familiar with this part of
Town and here comes the hearse There are likely thousands of people now lining this proc session route that is going from the place of the uh funeral to the place of the burial from uh South Knoxville to maraville and one of the bigger crowds that we have found is where our will Pucket is in Blunt County
Let’s get to will Pucket I’m sure you’ve been talking to people all sharing the reason that they came out today to support deputy maowen and his family will Puget what are people saying to you well they’re saying they want to honor a man who served them and kept
Them safe I talked with a father and son who we going to hear from tonight on wvlt news they said they have family members who serve in law enforcement but this man Deputy McCowen protected them and Protected Their livelihoods and lost his life doing what he set out to do and
So that they could live theirs and they say standing out here standing here at attention just for a couple of hours is paling in comparison to what they should be doing and could be doing for the man who risked his life life and gave his life to protect them again you all have
Mentioned it and we’ve mentioned it before Lamar Alexander is packed full of people now they’re just lined up and down the road I was actually talking to a gentleman who said before he stopped right here at the Blunt County Justice Center he drove the entire stretch here
Pretty much all the way to Alcoa Highway where it splits he says from Black Horse all the way to really where you turn off for the cemetery there’s almost not a gap in the road ‘s not a gap in that sidewalk there are people lined up all
The way along all the way through maraville and Blunt County to honor this Fallen Hero we showed you just a little bit ago you all mentioned it his squad car that still sits outside the Justice Center Chuck full of flowers notes memories people paying their respects of
Course right here at the Justice Center we are right across the street from Blunt Memorial Hospital and as the minutes tick more and more empy employees nurses doctors support staff coming out from Blunt Memorial in their scrubs a lot of them wearing the t-shirts that have been sold here across
Blunt County in maraville to honor Deputy maowen all of them coming out to pay their respects you all I have to mention Blunt Memorial Hospital is where Deputy maowen was taken the night that he was shot these people in this building who were lined up right here along Lamar
Alexander are the very people who tried to save his life when he got to this hospital now they’re taking time out of their day to come right here along Lamar Alexander as we wait here within roughly the next half an hour to an hour to pay their respects to the man again who
Protected them and folks say this is an intense time an emotional time a time that they want to again honor Deputy Greg maowen and again thank Deputy Edgar who is also an important part of this situation but Deputy maowen they’ll see his family his law enforcement brothers
And sisters and his body make its way to its final resting place here in the next little bit as again they all anticipate that moment to be emotional to be heavy but a moment that they don’t want to miss to pay their respects to a man who protected
Them well thank you and there is some intention behind that some marful City Schools some schools in the area have closed early so the kids can be picked up and the parents and their families if they choose can go to um can go to the procession route if
They want to support in this way um let’s go ahead and take a look at this now now this t. camera as we’re still going down Alcoa Highway this is the procession leaving the funeral that started at 1:00 today it lasted about two hours a number of speakers a lot of
Music close to a th people inside hard to know for sure how many seats there are uh and how many were full uh but but it was a it was it was a pretty much a full house in a very big church uh at severe Heights now look at all those motorcycles all
Those Cruisers all of them proceeding along to the burial site for Deputy Greg Macau and people are stopped people are pulled over uh as you should to show respect and that’s one reason that we have these processions so people can show The Importance that the person in
The Hearst had on everybody in East Tennessee and one of the shots that was has really stood out to me is the bridge shot Savannah do we have that overhead shot that we can show of the bridge where people are holding the American flags and we’re seeing families we’re
Seeing children we’re seeing um people as will Pucket mentioned from um the fundraisers there have been Grassroots efforts to raise funds for this family um two children and a grandchild Left Behind among others several others but there is people who are stepping up trying to sell t-shirts in his honor and
The proceeds going to the family and then there are signs like this where um the flags are draped over the bridge so everywhere this family looks along this procession route they see as you have mentioned Ted that they are not alone not just the packed House of the church
But people all along this 15 Mile procession route imagine what that means to the family now who are along this route as well and they’re looking out the window and seeing this and this for my fiance this for my dad this for my son imagine how much it means to them
Yeah at the funeral today a couple of his buddies did get up and talk and they extremely difficult position to be put in and they did a tremendous job Billy Radford and Greg Willis we’re going to show you folks a little bit of what his budd’s had to say he said he’d
Come I got to be lucky enough to be on the alar beside him whenever he got saved I got to see these babies I’d be deployed and he was one of the men that come to my house and took care of my two children took care of my wife watched after my
Home I couldn’t be there he was one of the men that stepped in the gap for me vacations church services revivals just sitting on my porch and just talk whenever I got the call and I found out about him I wasn’t shocked to find out what it happened but in
Fact I can’t think of another way that he would have wanted to go out he went out doing what he loved that was his dream to be a police officer what more could you ask for to go out doing what you love but I know
Without a shadow of a doubt one day that I’m going to see my friend again amen because of what he did a long time ago it’ll get easier how I don’t know can I tell you guys where your dad is right now if you wondered the Bible is crystal clear on this
Pastor the moment life left his body he was escorted into the Heavenly realm from the day this no the moment this happened he’s not been alone he’s had an escort you saw it this morning it’s going to be a huge escort this afternoon he’s been escort he’s never
Been alone but the escort into heaven woo son oh man did he love his mama he took her own ride alongs who does that had one come you had one coming up didn’t you you know why he did it he wanted his mama to be proud of
Him and boy was she proud of him father Al long will all understand it father along will understand why cheer up my brother live in the sunshine will understand all by by Blunt County Sheriff’s chaplain Roger Murphy there he was the one who who reminded us that the deputy had won a
Life-saving award he was a hostage negotiator trying to advance his career as well and before that was his friend Greg Willis Greg was the one who said that uh Deputy maccau was a rough character before he got saved but he also said he wasn’t shocked to find out
What happened on Thursday and that he can’t think of another way that maau would have wanted to go out doing what he loved and helping people w a lot of powerful stuff at that funeral today some some themes that we saw from several different people all wrapped up in what you just mentioned
There we did hear uh some stories today about who he was and how well he was loved and how he will be remembered for his love of Life his contagious smile but most importantly his desire to help people that’s what he did he joined blun County Sheriff’s Office in 2020 when he
Was 39 years old on his second career there so desire to help people and we’re seeing um the ripple effect from people showing up today this is now 20 some minutes 25 minutes roughly after the procession started from severe Heights Baptist Church and cars are still coming out of
Severe Heights Baptist Church and heading down the route uh that’s what that shot looks like uh do we have our Jared Allen ready Jared can you tell us more about what’s going on there’s so many people and so many vehicles still behind you you know they have this Main parking
Lot mostly clear at this point we’ll keep it right here though just on me Chris I just want to reference that there’s another parking lot off to the side of the church that one they are just getting started to clear out but as
We go this way we can see a lot more of the vehicles here we have some Cumberland County sheriff’s deputies driving by us right now like Ted had mentioned the funeral ended about 25 to 30 minutes ago and they got out here on the road pretty quickly but you can
Still see a long line of cars and police cruisers law enforcement still on Alcoa Highway leaving COA Highway leaving sever Heights Baptist Church and heading down to the cemetery in blun County one thing to note we’ll keep the camera here but I’ll tell you what’s going on in
Front of me behind you on screen uh they actually have several cars behind us just parked as all these Deputy Cruisers Go by I would say a good handful maybe 12 to 15 cars just stopped right there to pay their respects to Deputy Greg maau at as this entire line right here
Continues to make their way south on Alcoa Highway toward the cemetery I know we have plenty of cruise out there we probably saw the hearse were carrying Deputy Greg mccowan’s body about 15 20 minutes ago was one of the first in line of course but as you can see all across
The state law enforcement friends family members out here heading their way to blun County guys appreciate it the sheriff had a lot to say as well Sheriff bong who uh very late in the morning Friday morning uh Thursday night uh held a news conference in which he had a hard time keeping his
Emotions going once once the word came out that one of his own was shot and killed and then we we heard from him again earlier um again about the difficulty but how proud they were to be able to catch the person they believe is responsible and get that done before the
Funeral that was almost immediately that the timing was interesting happened basically during right before the receiving of friends it did they said that was their goal yesterday and that was um what they were able to accomplish so now this family can mourn knowing that the suspect in this shooting has been
Arrested and is now in custody of course the judicial process will begin um and we’ll continue to talk about that another time but the sheriff saying a few words today but but good words yeah saying thank you to his family directly to his family thank you for sharing him with us
You ought to be so proud his commitment his dedication and his sacrifice to help saying also on second shift that they were such a short a close group and in such a short amount of time were able to come he said I didn’t even realize how
Close this group was but noticed it now and realized it now after seeing how this this group has come together um and and man that when they invited the second shift to stand up and when everyone who was with the Blunt County Sheriff’s Office to stand up a lot of
People stood up yeah in the church today there was a lot of people showing up to support this family um today and this brother who they loved clearly very dearly you’re watching the procession from the funeral uh at sever Heights B Baptist Church now it is going its way
Towards the cemetery Grand View in maraville we’re going to bring you a little bit of what Sheriff James Bong had to say during this funeral earlier today he had a passion he wanted to serve the community he wanted to make a difference and there’s no doubt in my
Mind that he did the stories were here to win a a life- saving award shows his commitment and dedication and sacrifice he was willing to make to help someone else he was willing to make that sacrifice to help someone else that was also another common theme that we we
Learned about you know we we’ve learned a lot about who he was as an officer in the last Almost week MH um since the shooting but today it was really um powerful to see who he was and learn about who he was as a friend as a father
Um as a brother hearing from his closest family and friends and those who were his brothers today in in blun County at the Sheriff’s Office and understandably the family wanted to be private with this they didn’t want to get out in front of this they don’t want the media
Really involved in the burial itself or the funeral we were fortunate to have the church provide a feed with their cameras so that we could r show you that funeral for those of you who wanted to be able to pay your respects I’m just still amazed at that shot that we just
Showed right there those are people from Blunt Memorial Hospital here is the route we’re just going to give you an idea if you ever driven from the University of Tennessee to maraville maybe trying to go up to town and AR Cades Co this is the route you take you
Go to maraville and then what will happen here is at tuichi uh Pike uh the procession will get off of the main road there at 321 Lamar Alexander and it will find its way to Grand View Cemetery now we do have uh some Crews just a ways
Away from the cemetery again to be able to give the family as much privacy as as we possibly can while still being able to as a news organization show our respects for the deputy M A lot of people asking how they can help this certainly is one way and I’m just amazed
Every time we take this shot more people it almost does it really does the American flags the families the children um several offices several government agencies were closed today the offices were closed today so that families could take the time to be here and several schools in
The area also taking a half day getting out early today so families could make this a priority if they chose to do that but there are also other ways there were some T-shirts some Grassroots fundraising opportunities that people were selling T-shirts with of course permission from the family we should say
This all approved by the family with the funds going towards that family to help in whatever way they need but there’s also a fund set up at Citizens National Bank we have all of this information for you in the wvt news app if you are interested in um helping support this
Family as they navigate this morning process we have ways that you can do that but this is certainly a tremendous way and um this procession line we’re seeing right now we have a couple cameras that we can see here in the studio and there is still we still can’t
See the end of the procession from s Heights Baptist Church this is what it looks like this begun butes I would say 30 minutes ago is when the procession actually started the funeral ended just over an hour ago it took him about 25 minutes or so to
Line up the procession so now for the last 30 minutes vehicles have been leaving that church parking lot heading down Alcoa Highway and what you may have noticed is the vehicles going in the oppos opposite direction are now stopped and many may stay stopped until the entire procession is passed I believe
Tradition dictates that you stop until the hearse has passed and then you wait a respectful amount of time before you go but if you do know somebody who’s heading north on Alcoa Highway they may be stuck in traffic for a long time as people are paying respects to a fallen
Deputy Greg maau and for those of you maybe are just joining us don’t understand the whole story Thursday night a traffic stop happened on severville highway in between uh Seymour and maraville severville Highway a little area called Wildwood kind of a remote area car according to the Blunt County Sheriff’s Department was driving
Erratically couldn’t hold a lane so the deputies pulled him over Greg Macau being one of them Shelby aeres the other they said the person inside was uncooperative the person inside was combative and eventually the person inside pulled a gun shooting both deputies killing off Deputy Greg Macau
And injuring Deputy acres and now here we are almost a full week later and East Tennessee is showing its respect to the Fallen Hero and you can see here the cars like you’ve mentioned pulled off to the side you can see it looks like people getting out their vehicles yeah
Yes and I’m not sure if that is is out of respect that the dump trucks are up I bet it is I’ll bet it’s a sign yes I’ll bet it is a sign yeah and it it’s hard to tell a lot of you have TVs at home
That are a lot bigger than ours in front of Britney and I right now but if I may see a hand over a heart there on those two gentlemen who are standing there they they may be showing that much respect and intentionally so uh and this this procession much longer than 30
Minutes deep and they’re not quite I’m guessing a little more than halfway to the cemetery and vehicles are still leaving severe Heights Baptist Church all these people were either there or waiting outside in the parking lot if that church was full waiting outside in the parking lot just to show respect and
This isn’t something that just is is confined to plunk County of course we know this law enforcement agencies all across East Tennessee so of course this is more than it looks like this is Tennessee Highway Patrol going off of what I recognizes the the cars it looks
Like that’s a group of the of them staying United and staying together mhm and this is about a 15m route and we are seeing people lined up from start to finish and we’re only able to show a couple of areas there are some residential areas there as you first get
Into the Alcoa marille area uh that we don’t have a camera and will Pucket is saying that he has been told by a few people that that may be one of the busiest areas so there’s a lot of East tennesseeans out uh a lot of East tennesseeans out showing their respects
Today and we are learning that Deputy maowen will be honored with full law enforcement honors we don’t have exactly the details on what kind of ceremonial Traditions will in fact take place during the burial the burial is for family and friends for close family and
Friends so of course we will um be very respectful and keep our distance there but we we may cut off our coverage at some point um once it looks like they’re beginning to settle into the Cemetery that maybe when we okay end our live coverage again just out of respect for
The family’s wishes we we’ll play that by ear just to make sure we’re not uh intruding on something and typically those honors include what’s called a a three volley salute which is um I liken that to a 21 gun salute probably more commonly said than the volley yeah so
That is something that we do expect to see over um at the the burial grounds in just a few minutes um this is Alcoa Highway still which camera is this folks is this up by the church still or is this closer to the top
Side let’s see if we can get out to one of our our crews this is over by topside Road yes and and this procession line is just it’s incredibly long let’s see if if we have some of our crews who are are in with some of the procession route
Talking to some folks do we have uh will Pucket who’s ready to roll okay it looks like some of our guys are are on the ground talking to folks trying to get some information and learn more about why thousands of people I think it’s safe to say thousands of people have
Shown up to pay their respects um to someone who we are are learning a lot more about now somebody who the chaplain at bcso said he was living a good life he was a good cop and he was a good man somebody who we’ve talked about this but
Somebody who was taking his mother out for rideal alongs so that he could show her what his job was and that she would be proud of him these are some of the things that were said during this funeral today Governor Lee started it he said Greg McOwen is a hero he said you
The family in loved on suffer the most because of it to us he’s a hero to you he’s a dad a son and a loved one and of course he had a couple of his best friends they were talking about being their best friends Billy Radford and
Greg Willis let’s listen to one of those now and then we’ll tell you a little more about what they said though he may not be blood but he was my brother and family he’s one of the first ones that’s to hold my wife and my kids at the hospital after they was
Born the greater love haveth no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends and that’s what he did for us that was the actually the Bible verse if you a lot of you were wondering you may have seen on UT’s campus on the Rock
Uh The Farmhouse painted on Memorial to the deputy and they included that that verse uh from The Book of John uh 15th chapter uh greater love has no man then uh to lay down his life for a friend so that’s what people are saying about the deputy now they were saying he he
Wouldn’t have wanted it any other way someone who was relative that was really powerful to me yeah he he’d only been in law enforcement for a couple of years he worked at Mastercraft he he made boats made some great friends some of the people who spoke at the funeral great
Friends making boats and then he lived his dream took a massive pay cut according to the sheriff to go works for work for the sheriff’s department and one of his friends Greg Willis said basically I wasn’t shocked to find out what happened when he got shot Thursday
Night he said he can’t think of another way he would want to go out than doing what he loved to do that is powerful let’s get to our Jared Austin now who is outside of severe Heights Baptist Church Jared and it looks like just within moments right before we took
Your shot in fact it looks like the procession line and I could be wrong because I’m seeing some lights behind you that they’re just starting now to wrap up I mean 45 minutes after the procession line began yeah you’re right around that timeline maybe 40 to 45 minutes it looks like the
Parking lot is clear even the side Lot all the way over there so what you’re seeing here is the very tail end of the procession but again this is 40 minutes of vehicles law enforcement friends and family all making their way from severe Heights Baptist Church down to Grand
View Cemetery in Blanc County you can see some very slow moving Cruisers if we can get nice and tight on that you can see some of those Highway response incident vehicles as well but this has been going on for a really really long time I would say deputy Greg mowen’s
Hearst just went by us within the last 20 to maybe 25 minutes and you will start seeing cars in the other lane going forward they had been waiting over there for about 20 minutes as all these cars were making their way down to the cemetery just as a way to pay their
Respects for the Fallen Deputy at this time but it does look like things are wrapping up here guys you can see a couple Vehicles here looks like some most of that traffic is just normal traffic at the very end so we’re at the tail end here I’m sure all of our crews
Down Alcoa Highway heading into blun County they’ll have a lot more of those visuals of all these deputies and other Crews making the way do appreciate it thank you very much we want to try to get more to the front of where that procession is now as it’s heading from
The church to the cemetery our will Pucket is in Blunt County not too far from uh actually very close to Blunt Memorial Hospital Blunt County Sheriff’s Office huge crowd is gathered there we want to get an idea of how deep into Blunt County and marable that procession
Is we’ll start with Will and find out what’s going on well guys we’re standing still here along Lamar Alexander Parkway and again we’ve emphasized over the past couple of times that I visited you just how deep this support is you can see behind me as
I step out of the shot real fast that we’ve been showing you as it stretches up back into the city of maraville people right in front of his squad car that sits right outside of the Blunt County Justice Center and then on the other side you also have people lined up
Outside of Blunt Memorial Hospital Lamar Alexander Parkway still open at this hour we expect that to be closed here in the next little bit we were just having a conversation off camera about this traffic flow and it really does feel like it is started to sort of trickle
Down there’s still plenty of flow no police activity whatsoever as we again expect that to shut down here in just a little bit but here’s a little bit of the feeling around this area outside the Justice Center from folks who’ve been out here for a couple
Hours oh yeah it was great I drove in from Knoxville um I live in marville but work in Knoxville and they were already I got here about 1:00 and they were already lined up bucket trucks with flags and it was just now I mean the funeral was just getting started and
They were already out supporting and I can’t imagine what it is now yeah now talking about right as we get ready to see Deputy maowen in the entire procession come right by here guys we’re going to keep an eye on this I’ll let you know when this road shuts
Down the next time I come and visit you but for Ted and Britney back to you right now do appreciate it it it it’s getting closer we do have an update now as to where the head of that procession is they’ve basically cleared Alcoa Highway and the turn when you’re heading
From the airport port to marville you take a left on Hall Road uh that’s where the the procession is heading now so it’s not too far away from uh the Blunt County from the from the hospital uh it’s got the Alcoa and marville area to go through so they’re getting a little
Over halfway through the route and again for those of you who maybe just joining us the the the show of force the show of power the show of support uh that all these motorcycles all these Cruisers all the trooper SUVs all this law enforcement muscle is showing has to make the community feel
Safer it has to make the family of Deputy maowen feel supported and feel lifted U during this time that is likely the worst time in their lives and this is such a powerful picture too to see the procession happening on the right side of the screen but then you can also
See the ladder trucks that have lifted up the American flag Fire Department there with with the flag in the middle just on the left corner of your screen that’s if we have any communication we can see them to just maybe pan over just a little bit so we can see that picture
Coming under the American flag and we also do want to remind you when the hearse does go by folks we will we will fall quite out of respect and I imagine it’s coming up pretty quickly here but we have thousands of people lying in the streets in uh Blunt County uh now
Waiting for just this moment how long is it going to take it’ll take 15 seconds for the uh for the body of Greg Macau the deputy to go past but people are willing to do it they’re willing to stand out today outside and be there and
Wait and this is something we have had Crews on the ground here for several hours we were talking to people close to 11:30 who were starting to see people line up not knowing when the the procession would come through where they were stationed but it was right in this
Area five and a half hours ago so um people are really committed to making sure this family feels like they are not alone it’s a 15 or so Mile Drive I’m just just rough guessing these vehicles are going a little under 10 miles an hour here so uh they want to take time
They want people to be able to see outside the vehicles and see how many people are showing support and they want the people along the side of the road to be able to see maybe even the faces of the officers inside maybe just a handwave to one of I’m saying thank you
For all that you do for us um they they’re going slow on purpose and something that was also mentioned this procession route we I mean these are mostly community members now in the motorcycle some of them former law enforcement yeah but the procession route is so powerful for every single think about every
Single car every single motorcycle that we saw leading the procession and even following was driven by one law enforcement agent perhaps another officer could beide could be inside so think about the tribute that that pays to each person who wears the badge to protect us this is also a showing of
Support for those who are still on the job still have to get up and go to work again tomorrow mourning the loss of their loved one their brother this is also a tribute to them and recognizing them and here comes the hearse for you heard one of the people mentioned
During the funeral that last Thursday night just about a week ago now that Deputy Macau had no idea what he was facing that night 8 8:30 in the evening a simple traffic stop he had his partner with him should have been no big deal and ended up taking his life and injuring his
Partner how much does something like that mean uh to people you can see it you can see and all that has happened today all that’s happened over the last several days um the sheriff himself got up and and spoke in the funeral saying he’s still in shock he’s still in a void
And then reminded us Deputy Macau came in almost 40 years old with 39 years old yeah he says he doesn’t see that very often yeah to say okay now I want to become an officer at almost 40 he took a big pay cut he’d been making boats at
Mastercraft a lot of boat manufacturers here in East Tennessee some of the best boats are made here and Deputy mccal was among those making them for a number of years and now for a couple of years he was in service to East Tennessee to Blunt County won a life-saving award he
Was a hostage negotiator trying to advance his career he wanted to become a crime scene investigator and again that little reminder he was about to take his mom on a ride along before this happened and all these things PE these people might not even know all that because
Perhaps they got out there early enough didn’t watch the funeral didn’t get a chance to pay attention and yet they realize someone who has uh dedicated their life the last several years of their life to serving them and protecting them was killed and doing it
And so they want to go out there and show their support that’s something that is really special about um the privilege of of listening in to this service is the the depth of the humanity and the people who were touched and impacted by Deputy mowen’s decisions to go into law
Enforcement serving as a reservist before going through the training academy in 2020 and then as you mentioned continuing to further his career um by becoming a hostage negotiator I think about the challenges of being a hostage negotiator and then going through the training to become a crime scene investigator something that
They were saying is probably not even public knowledge nobody really knew that he had finished that and was sound like he had just taken a test or just finished some classes to do it so he was it sound like he was really advancing in his career much faster than probably
Most officers most deputies are able to do and that’s something that’s so surprising to us to think about that um from the inside thinking somebody has just been on the force since 2020 and that was Co and he was going into further danger um and was recognized with that life-saving
Award that you mentioned for pulling a man from a burning car was tributed with saving someone’s life he saved someone’s life In His short time with the sheriff’s office but that again a surprise to us thinking about that on the outside just a short time in law
Enforcement but his friend saying no no no no that is who he was this is somebody who showed up this is somebody who put others before him himself that is the person who I knew so I am not surprised by all of these things that the rest of us are just learning about
But also what a privilege for us to learn that this was the kind of person who was protecting us and our families on the streets without hesitation you’re looking at the procession right now the hearse passed just a handful of minutes ago if you’re heading from the airport
Into marville you take a left on Hall Road immediately you come across a handful of brand newish restaurants that’s where our camera is positioned now a couple of miles down the road you get to the intersection where if you take a left you head up towards Cades Cove and Townsen right at marville
College and right about there is where we find our will Pucket and will uh the lead of the procession probably not too far away from you right now yeah you can tell by that is the silence that’s fallen over right here by the Justice Center and outside of Blunt
Memorial I’ll step out and you can see that maraville police have now officially stopped traffic moving along Lamar Alexander Parkway right now you can see this maraville officer with her K9 right next to her and probably just about a couple of city blocks is that split to turn right down to into
Downtown maraville or left like you said Ted to come up to towns in in cage Cove past Blunt Memorial pass Troopers or excuse me deputies car and again a really powerful Silence has fallen over this spot we sit at right now you for a while could could hear talking you could
Hear children playing you could hear conversations now all you hear is just that echo of radio chatter from the deputies who are standing right out here and of course that maraville police officer and then the constant beep of the crossing signals here right outside of Blunt Memorial we’ve talked to people
Who’ve been standing along here for hours now and the entire idea of this is to pay their honor pay their respects and thank the man who risked his life to protect his Community the very people who line this area and a little bit ago T Britney I mentioned that it’s powerful
To stand outside of here from the Justice Center but it’s also powerful to stand outside of Blunt Memorial hospital because that is where Deputy Greg mowen was taken right after that situation that happened on severville road Thursday guys I’m not going to step back into frame because I want to just be
Able to point out that this area is nearly silent at this moment as folks await this procession as youve said about 45 minutes long to come right down Lamar Alexander as we are now just a mile up the road from where Deputy mowan will meet and get to his final resting place
But again a really powerful Silence has fallen at this spot right now with now everybody just anticipating the arrival of the man who served their Community as it does go past which could come up in the next couple of minutes here will we’ll probably just kind of stay quiet
And and observe the moment and observe the respect but in the meantime go over the story again about the hospital just across the road there about Blunt Memorial and and we can tell that in looking at their outfits there are people who just walked out of the
Hospital to come down here to be a part of this yeah exactly if I can have actually our chief photojournalist Scott pan over you can see just right here that there are folks who work inside of Blunt Memorial wearing their scrubs meaning that they’ve stopped their day and at
This stage Ted you’re probably looking at them standing out here for the past hour or more a lot of them in their scrubs others wearing these shirts that have been sold in the maraville in Blunt County Community where 100% of the proceeds as our Sam Luther told us
Earlier in the week will go back to the maen family but really this hill that gets you up to Blunt Memorial is full of people and then right along the sidewalk like you said Ted and like we’re showing you folks wearing scrubs folks wearing shirts honoring deputy maowen and again
It’s powerful because these are First Responders in themselves they have emergencies that they have to respond to we’ve had ambulances flowing in and out of blun Memorial since we’ve been standing here but they’re taking a break from their day to come and honor the man who they served who they worked
Alongside and again to show support to the community that they work so closely with and again it’s important to note that this area is very quiet you can now hear the echo of the helicopter that’s been following that procession this is the first time we’ve been able to hear that that’s
Followed that entire route which probably shows that they’re just reaching where you go from the Alcoa City Limits into the marville city limits as you come up all of those restaurants like you noted and actually Ted as I talk right now we’re seeing the first of the police motorcycles pull
Through here so I’ll head it back to you all as we stay silent for this next little bit kind of figured and and and there are people helping at the hospital you wonder how we can have hundreds and possibly a thousand or more law enforcement people involved in this
People from all over the state are coming in to cover their shifts today in Blunt County so that they can be here to be a part of this you saw that first lead quartet of motorcycles Zip by at a faster speed that it’s possible that they’re going up to make sure the next
Busy intersection is clear uh it’s possible uh that that they’re just trying to get to the actual site because at this point we’re just a few miles away uh from the the the cemetery and now we’re starting to see the the meat of the procession and as will was
Talking about how how quiet it is there we kind of thought it would be important to just listen in for a few minutes and and feel the reverence here and as you mentioned other agencies coming in to help cover the shifts and help um protect blun County blun County was one
Of the first to jump in and offer support and help to Knox County when Deputy Tucker Blakeley was um killed in the line of duty and now you’re seeing other agencies and we heard that even on on late Friday early Friday late Thursday um right away other agencies in
In East Tennessee were stepping in anything you need we we’ve got you we’ve got you fed we have you protected whatever you need and we’re certainly seeing that here as we stay silent now as the procession route starts to come Through I All those motorcycles it was about 45 minutes worth of vehicles that came out of the church at sever Heights got on Alcoa Highway after the funeral for a Fallen Hero Deputy Greg maowen who was shot and killed on duty making a traffic stop on Thursday night and now all this support
For him and not only law enforcement but you can see the people on the sidewalks the people stacked multiple deep in some of the busiest areas here to honor this hero so many motorcycles I looked up when we just started it was almost 2 minutes worth and they’re going slow we
Watched just motorcycles um come through and that just shows you the impact um and the support for this family which is is just tremendous schools getting out early offic is closing you can see people coming out of the hospital that takes a lot of layers a lot of intent
For um to allow people to come support and that just shows you the depth of of this community and how important it is for people to show up for for this to happen how important it is for this to happen at so many different levels um to
Be able for the family to see this this is a few miles behind this is the area where Alcoa Highway turns into Hall Road for those who are heading into marville you stay on Alcoa Highway if you want to go to Alcoa obviously uh but this just shows you this
Procession miles back is still moving along with hundreds of vehicles I imagine the hearse is nearing the Blunt County Courthouse so if we can go back to that we don’t want to miss that Moment officer Greg maowen leaves behind two daughters and a granddaughter a fiance parents he was 43 years old had just joined law enforcement a couple of years ago after doing what a whole lot of people do in East Tennesse working in the boat industry making boats at Mastercraft made some fantastic friends
There it sounds like life long friends they were calling him a brother today as they were speaking during their brother’s funeral sharing stories about him they said the deputy was a rough character before he got saved after that he was the guy that the friends would trust to take care of
Their families and their homes they’re not surprised to hear that he was killed the way he was in fact the exact words of one of them uh his name was Greg Willis he said I wasn’t shocked to find out what happened I can’t think of another way he would want to go out
And doing what he loved and we’re seeing the U response of the people who respect that Governor B showing up today giving his support to the family and saying that we are the beneficiaries of your loved one of your sacrifice he’s a hero to all of us but
To you and your family and the loved ones that he leaves behind he so much more than that a father a grandfather a loved one a son and we are the beneficiaries of his decision to protect and serve East tennesseans the people who we love most our families our
Streets that we benefit from his sacrifice calling him a hero that coming from Governor B Lee who has ordered all the flags across the state to be flown today at half staff including the capital building we will continue to see that all across the state but learning
More about Greg maowen they called him his loved ones his friends it sounds like his Pals called him little G we heard from Big G who you just referenced there that was one of his friends who spoke his real name Greg Willis but it sounds like in that inner circle he went
By by Big G but another friend Billy Radford saying that we trusted him so much that he was one of the first people to hold our children came to the hospital when our children were born and he was one of the first people who had
The honor of of holding a child for the the very first time so you can see how deeply loved he was and the themes that we’re hearing like you mentioned a little bit of a rough character before he was saved but the theme certainly today was his loved ones and those who
Knew him best knew where he was going and and had complete faith that they would see him again um so just speaks to the kind of person he was and um how he will continue to be remembered one of his friends this was something that stuck with me that said that whenever he
Was the kind of person the kind of friend whenever you needed something if you called him up say hey I need a hand with something he said whatever you need I’ll be right there I’ll be right there whatever you need and his friend Greg Willis saying he probably didn’t know
How deep those words went because he is still right there he will still be right there um that that’s the way that he will remember his friend is the one who always showed up let’s get to our Sam Blu through now we have Crews all along this procession route and it sounds like
That is just starting um to now get to the Cemetery where the family will offer a private burial but our Sam Luther is there to capture these moments Sam what are you seeing session reached tuichi Pike it is right next to the Grand View Cemetery it
Is the final resting place for a deputy that sacrificed his life in the line of duty you guys have heard so many stories about the man that was Deputy Greg maau all all throughout the day powerful words from U that service earlier today is you’re just now seeing uh what’s
Really transpired over the last hour come to a conclusion here but really probably some of the more somber moments here uh at the Grand View Cemetery here in Blunt County in maraville you’re just now starting to see what you’ve been seeing all throughout Alcoa Highway as we’ve had our crews uh along that
Pathway as well Lamar Alexander uh there at the sheriff’s office as well uh we’ve seen it from start to finish here this is the concl I usion of it it’ll likely take a little bit of time for every one of these cars to finally file into the Grand View Cemetery we’re just now
Starting to see really the very beginning of it uh is about probably 30 to 50 motorcycles with their lights on you just heard some Sirens uh going off a little bit there coming by this Cemetery we mentioned it before but we’re stationed at a distance for a
Reason the family has asked that this moment here more so than any other potentially is private for them the helicopter is now making its way over us here you may be able to hear it in the background but we’re stationed actually at Blunt County Schools their central
Office which is right across the street here I only say that because Britney mentioned it earlier they dismissed early today for this reason so families that you may be able to see in this shot I know you’ve seen it in others dozens of them here outside of this Cemetery
Also at a safe distance to give this family some space to grieve privately right now alongside their friends they are here just showing their support some just leaving their front yards others coming to this point specifically for this reason we’re seeing Blunt County sheriff’s cars and cruisers pass by
Right now as again um The Sounds here we’re hearing back pipes being practiced in the background I spoke with someone with the Blunt County Sheriff’s Office just a little bit ago they tell me that they’re expecting uh a flyover of some sorts at some point uh some sort of a a
Ceremonial gun salute and then bag pipes being played as well we also are working to get uh recordings of the last call that will take place during this ceremony we have uh somebody with the sheriff’s office here on standby we’re hopefully going to be able uh to have
That recording for you guys all to hear again from a safe distance distance that this family uh has agreed to and it feels comfortable with us we’re unable to see really anything if we’re able to actually show you see right there the Hearst I’m going to step aside here E For the hearse now now carrying Deputy Greg mowen’s body now arriving at Grand View Cemetery where the family will have a private ceremony we are told as Sam Luther is just confirming for us some information we are told that he will receive full law enforcement honors we’re expecting that to include a
Flyover bag pipes a last call and a three volley salute or or 21 gun salute full law enforcement honors for Deputy Greg maowen who was killed in the line of duty last Thursday as family friends and East tennesseans show up today to offer support to show their love and
Share their memories of Deputy Greg maowen who were learning loved ones called little G the family has asked for a private ceremony we will respect that we will not intrude we did want to give you a chance to follow along with the public procession to see how East Tennessee
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