Henry Co. Sheriff’s Dept. rallies around deputy diagnosed with cancer

PARIS, Tenn. — A law enforcement officer dedicated to helping others is getting a little help of his own from the community.

“Everybody knows John. He just lights up a room when he comes in,” said Amy Davis, who works at the Henry County Sheriff’s Department.

It’s been a trying few years for volunteer sheriff’s deputy John Krezinski. After years of being cancer free and pursing his passion of helping others as an officer, a doctor told Krezinski something he never thought he would hear.

“The first time was in 2009, and I beat it for six years,” he said. ‘This last June, my chemo doctor found it again.”

Krezinski may be starting a second battle with stomach cancer, but the community is making sure he isn’t fighting alone.

People who know John describe him as a man always looking for ways to help the community, so it only made since to help him in this time of need.

“John is the most selfless person I know,” Davis said. “He gives all his time to Henry County.”

Davis along with the sheriff’s office organized a lunch to raise funds for Krezinski’s medical expenses, bringing out dozens of community members.

“We want to lessen that burden on him and help him get better soon so we can have them around for a long time,” Davis said.

Sheriff Monte Belew says Krezinski has won many volunteer awards for his work over the past 11 years.

“This is a small, small token of appreciation that we can show back to the man who’s given so much to us,” Belew said.

As for Krezinski, he’s hopeful his recovery will lead him back to doing what he loves.

“I always look to the Lord to tell me, and the Lord has blessed me to beat it, and I can beat it again,” he said.

Krezinski has been a volunteer deputy with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office since 2006.