On the night of November 27, 2000, a silent burglary alarm at a motorcycle dealership in Hohenwald, Tennessee drew 32-year-old Hohenwald Police Department officer Alan Matthew Ragsdale to the scene. Ragsdale, who had served about 18 months on the 12-officer force, parked at the rear and was checking the building’s perimeter when he encountered a suspect. The suspect fired three shots; one struck Ragsdale in the armpit, an area not covered by his vest. He was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Hospital but died of his wound.

The suspect, 18-year-old Ricky Grayson, fled as other officers arrived but was arrested later the same day and charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and burglary. Grayson gave jail interviews stating he preferred the death penalty over life. On August 23, 2002, he pleaded guilty to Ragsdale’s murder and received life in prison without parole. Ragsdale was remembered as a son, husband, father, stepfather, and a committed Christian.

If anyone knew Officer Ragsdale or has information about that night, please share what you remember.