In the summer of 1977, the life of a dedicated public servant, a White male named Robert E. Mayo, was irrevocably altered. A U.S. Army veteran who had served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, he had continued his service to the community as a Deputy Sheriff with the Dickson County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee.
The events that would lead to his untimely death began to unfold with the escape of two inmates, a man and a woman, from the Dickson County Jail.
The male escapee was already a fugitive, having previously broken out of a Connecticut jail where he was being held on an attempted murder charge. Following their most recent escape, the pair broke into a local home, robbed the owner, and fled in a stolen car.
The next day, a Dickson County constable spotted the stolen vehicle on Highway 49 and a pursuit began. The chase came to an end when the escapees' vehicle crashed while rounding a curve about four miles east of Charlotte. A manhunt immediately ensued. During the search, a K9 named Max from the Dickson Police Department located the male suspect hiding in a tree. Tragically, the man fatally shot the police dog. Deputy Mayo, hearing the gunshots, rushed to the area and was shot in the neck by the suspect.
Despite being grievously wounded on June 14, 1977, Deputy Mayo clung to life for four months. He ultimately succumbed to the gunshot wound on October 18, 1977. The man who shot him managed to escape the immediate manhunt but was later killed in a shootout with the Connecticut State Police. At the time of his death, Deputy Sheriff Robert E. Mayo was 46 years old and had served in law enforcement for 24 years. He was survived by his wife and seven children.
