In an act of kindness that tragically turned fatal, 55-year-old Lauderdale County Deputy Sheriff Bobby Joe Nolen was killed on January 2, 1990. On that Tuesday, Deputy Nolen and his partner, Deputy Kevan M. Ward, came across an 82-year-old man whose car had broken down. The deputies, unaware of the danger that lay ahead, offered the elderly man a ride.
As they drove into the city limits of Ripley, Tennessee, the man, who was seated in the back of the patrol car, unexpectedly drew a. 357 caliber handgun that he had concealed in his jacket. Without warning, he shot both deputies in the back of the head. The patrol car, now without a driver, veered off the road, crossing the median, climbing an embankment, and finally crashing into a field.
When another police officer arrived at the scene, he found a grim sight. Both Deputy Nolen and Deputy Ward were sitting upright in their seats, still secured by their seat belts, both having succumbed to their injuries. In the back seat, the officer found the suspect, unconscious from the impact of the crash.
The suspect was identified as a man with a long criminal history dating back to 1927, which included convictions for assaults and weapons violations. Following the murders of the two deputies, he was committed to a mental institution. He remained there until his death in September of 1995. Deputy Nolen had served with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office for one year at the time of his death and was survived by his wife and five children.
