Residents React to the Shooting of their Police Chief

(Friendship, TN) Many Friendship residents are dusting off their guns out of fear after their Police Chief Bill Garrett was shot at the Dollar General Friday night.

“Last night there were quite a few people that armed themselves when they heard they were on foot. So it would have been a bad situation if they had showed at somebody else’s house around here,” said Ronnie Robertson.

 

Robertson says Chief Garrett would do anything for anyone, and was just doing his job when he became a victim at the Dollar General.

 

Chief Garrett is described as a hardworking family man and father of two.

 

“He was going to rescue just like he would anybody else in town. You know, if they needed help he’d be there. And he just got caught up in a bad situation,” said Robertson.

 

Some residents here in friendship say they have noticed a rise in crime over the past 6 months and that could be because of the economy here in Crockett County.

 

“The way things are going on here now you kind of expect… I mean you have a dollar store over here and that road is traveled,” said Jerry Roberts.

 

Roberts says Chief Garrett always goes around to stores at closing time to help them lock up.

 

“He just does it on his own. You never know in this day and age the way things are now,” said Roberts.

 

Chief Garrett was flown to the MED in critical condition after the shooting.

 

“We’re all thinking about him. We’re all praying he heals and everything and we hope they catch everybody that was involved in it, and hope the law does their job,” said Robertson.