Laying our Hero to Rest

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Traffic Plans

Loudon County Sheriff's Office, TN. will be conducting operations to lay our loved one, Sgt. Chris Jenkins, to rest on Wednesday February 9, 2022. Due to overwhelming support, there will be a need to conduct some temporary road closures and traffic re-routes that we would like to make you aware of. The following roads will be affected starting around 1pm on Wednesday and for the duration of services. Please bear with us during this difficult time and avoid these areas if possible.

  • Highway 72 / Highway 11
  • Steekee Rd / Highway 72
  • Highland Avenue
  • Highway 11 at Browder School Road
  • Sugarlimb Road from Loudon Ridge Road to Highway 11
If you are planning on attending any of the services at Loudon High School, there will be designated parking areas for vehicles that are not emergency services. There will be volunteers to guide vehicles as they arrive.
  • Handicap parking will be in the parking lot facing Highway 11 behind the baseball field.
  • General parking will be available on the practice field on the Steekee Road side of the High School.
  • General Parking will also be available at Fort Loudon Middle School (Enter in from Highway 11).
  • Parking available at Blairland Baptist Church with shuttle service available to and from Loudon High School.

Public wishing to show support along the procession route should use sidewalks along Highway 11 in downtown Loudon.

 

“Laying Our Hero To Rest” LCSO plans large-scale service for Sgt. The public can pay respects by lining the sidewalks of downtown Loudon along HWY 11

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Up to 1,000 people are expected to say their last goodbyes to 20-year deputy Sgt. Chris Jenkins between Tuesday and Wednesday. Investigators reported a truck driver hit and killed the Loudon County deputy Thursday morning while he was removing a ladder from I-75.

The sheriff’s office planned a large-scale service on Wednesday and will host hundreds of visiting law enforcement officers from across the country, some of whom Jenkins worked with through the K9 unit. The several hour-long service will start at Loudon High School and end at Memorial Gardens.

There will be several moments of honor, including a flyover, 21 gun salute and a horse drawn hearse.

Whether it’s a hotel offering free rooms to visiting law enforcement officers, the community making sure Sgt. Jenkins’ children are comforted, to students just wanting to show the family they’re not alone. These are just a few ways a mourning county is taking care of each other.

“It’s an undertaking that I’ve never seen the likes of. Logistically, it’s huge,” Loudon High School Principal Scott MacKintosh said.

Some students at LHS put together a 13-minute montage of Friday’s procession as a gift to the family.

“What’s been so divided, everyone with Coronavirus, masks and vaccines, it was cool to see everyone come together as one,” he said.

The school’s culinary arts department will support the sheriff’s office with a free meal on Thursday. The memorial service on Wednesday is set for Sgt. Jenkins’ friends and family as well as fellow law enforcement.

The public can pay respects by lining the sidewalks of downtown Loudon along HWY 11.

BACK
2/8/22