Law enforcement officers honor Trooper Matthew Gatti at visitation

JACKSON, Tenn. — Family, friends and law enforcement gather to say goodbye to a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper killed in the line of duty.

“Trooper Gatti brought a youngness, a meekness, a humbleness, a Christlike character to our district and to our troop,” THP Sgt. Jamie Jarrett said.

Trooper Matthew Gatti, 24, was killed in a crash May 6 on Interstate 40 near mile marker 74 in Madison County.

Visitation for Gatti was held Monday morning at West Jackson Baptist Church.

Those who worked closely with Trooper Gatti came to pay their respects.

“The loss of Trooper Gatti has brought a togetherness, a bonding of law enforcement in our community as a whole.

Sgt. Jarrett was one of Trooper Gatti’s supervisors. He says the way the community has come together following Gatti’s death has been truly inspiring.

“The outpouring of love and support for he and his family and for us — it’s been enormous, and it’s been such a blessing to see it and to be a part of it,” Sgt. Jarrett said.

Law enforcement agencies from across the country came to Trooper Gatti’s visitation to offer their condolences to their fallen brother.

“We have California Highway patrol, Wyoming, Ohio, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas — they’re coming from everywhere,” Sgt. Jarrett said.

Jarrett says the Memphis Division of the THP will forever be changed following Gatti’s death.

“He loved the highway patrol. Every day he came to work he had a smile on his face,” Jarrett said.

We’ll have more on the services for Trooper Gatti on WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News at 10.