Tennessee Highway Patrol Sergeant and Marion County Sheriff's Department Detective Killed in Helicopter Crash
NASHVILLE- On August 23, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and the Marion County Sheriff’s Department suffered a heartbreaking loss. Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Sergeant Lee Russell of the THP Aviation Division and Marion County Sheriff’s Department Detective Matt Blansett were conducting an aerial mission in the Chattanooga area when the helicopter they were operating crashed in a wooded area of Marion County. We are saddened to report that both men lost their lives while serving the people of Tennessee on this mission.