200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

ThomasMPatton • 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX)

http://Police.KingsportTN.gov • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

As previously released:

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as National Police Week. Traditionally, the local Fraternal Order of Police (F.O.P.) Burgess-Mills Lodge #11 conducts a Law Enforcement Memorial Service at the Kingsport Justice Center during National Police Week.

The service this year will be held this coming Monday, May 9, 2016 at 4:00 PM at the new Law Enforcement Memorial and Eternal Flame at the Kingsport Police Department on the corner of West Market and Clay Streets in Downtown Kingsport. The department extends an open invitation to anyone who would like to join us as we remember and honor our local fallen officers, as well as all fallen officers throughout the nation.

The Honorable Ray Conkin, Sullivan County General Sessions Court Judge, will deliver the keynote address with the Kingsport Police Department Honor Guard conducting the ceremonial honors. The newly constructed Law Enforcement Memorial and Eternal Flame will be officially unveiled and dedicated during the service.

A brief video preview of the new Law Enforcement Memorial and Eternal Flame at the Kingsport Police Department has been made available for viewing on the K.P.D. YouTube channel by visiting the link below:

https://youtu.be/R8tDPk4h6kQ

The following excerpt is shared from the website of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund:

“Today, in the United States, some 900,000 law enforcement officers put their lives on the line for the safety and protection of others. They serve with valor and distinction – and with great success. Federal statistics show that violent and property crime rates in the United States are at historic lows, thanks in large measure to the dedicated service of the men and women of law enforcement.

That protection comes at a price, however. Each year, there are approximately 60,000 assaults on law enforcement officers, resulting in nearly 16,000 injuries. Sadly, over the last decade, an average of 150 officers a year have been killed in the line of duty. And throughout U.S. history, more than 20,000 law enforcement officers have made the ultimate sacrifice.”

The following two inscriptions are found on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C.

“This Memorial is dedicated to all Law Enforcement Officers in the United States of America. Inscribed on these walls are the names of those men and women who died in the line of duty.”

“It is not how these officers died that made them heroes. It is how they lived.”

Links to the National Police Week website, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund website, and the Officer Down Memorial Page are provided below:

www.PoliceWeek.org

http://www.NLEOMF.com

www.ODMP.org

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

ThomasMPatton • 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX)

http://Police.KingsportTN.gov • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

A white 2012 Honda CRV compact sport utility vehicle, driven by Danny R. McClellan, was southbound on Fort Henry Drive at the intersection with Tall Tree Drive when for unknown reasons it suddenly veered off the right side of the road and struck a rock embankment. Immediately after impact the vehicle rolled to the left onto the driver’s side and came to a rest.

Mr. McClellan unfortunately sustained unsurvivable injuries in the crash. After first responders extricated him from the vehicle, he was transported to Holston Valley Medical Center by Sullivan County E.M.S.; however, he was ultimately pronounced deceased on arrival.

At the time of the crash, a small dog was sitting on Mr. McClellan’s lap between his body and the steering wheel which contained an air bag. As a result of the brutal crash and the violent air bag deployment, the dog was killed instantly.

What exactly caused Mr. McClellan’s vehicle to suddenly veer off the roadway is still under investigation. Investigators are exploring possible theories that the crash could have potentially been either medical or distraction related; however, these are just theories with neither being substantiated at this time.

Many pet owners love their pets so much that they refuse to leave them at home and insist on taking them along everywhere they go. In reality, most pets are safer, healthier, and likely happier when left at home rather than taking them on a car ride.

No pets, regardless of their size, should ever be left loose in a moving automobile. Pets can be a major distraction to the driver. And, in the event of a crash, any unsecured objects, including pets, become airborne missiles that are completely capable of seriously injuring or killing anything in their path, including you.

The most dangerous place for a pet to ride is directly in front of an air bag. There is a reason that safety experts recommend that no child under the age of nine should ever ride in the front seat. And most pets weigh less than a nine year old child.

When it is an absolute necessity to transport an animal in a vehicle, placing them in an appropriately sized crate that has been properly secured in the vehicle is the safest option. Another option is to utilize a harness designed to secure the animal in the seat and still give it the option of sitting up or lying down.

Furthermore, pets are just like small children. Motorists should consider disabling power windows and door locks in the area of the vehicle where their pet is riding. Pets are fully capable of stepping on a power window switch or even inadvertently opening a door, giving them access to the outside world and allowing them to leap from the moving vehicle into traffic. And pets should of course never be left unattended in a parked vehicle.

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit