Officer Gary Dockery, 43, was shot in the head at point-blank range on September 7, 1988, after responding to a domestic disturbance call that had been fabricated. The shooter, Samuel Frank Downey, used a .22-caliber derringer; the wound left Dockery in a persistent vegetative, minimally conscious state for more than seven years.

On February 11, 1996, Dockery briefly regained clear consciousness for about 18 hours, speaking with family members, naming personal details such as his horses and green Jeep, and expressing love for his two young sons. He later lapsed back into a reduced level of awareness and continued to suffer chronic health problems, including pneumonia. Dockery died on April 15, 1997, of a pulmonary blood clot while at a nursing home in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Downey was convicted of attempted murder and received a 37-year sentence; he was denied parole and later died in custody. More than 150 people attended Dockery’s funeral.