Hardin County prepares to honor fallen Deputy Matthew Locke

HARDIN COUNTY, Tenn. — The Hardin County community is preparing to honor one of their own.

Hardin County Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Locke died Saturday night while on duty.

Visitation for loved ones to pay their respects to Locke will be held Thursday at Savannah Church of Christ from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“You will come in through the front of our building and go down the hallway. It will wrap around the inside of our building into the auditorium, where you will be able to visit with the family,” said Barry Binion, with the Savannah Church of Christ.

There will be a second visitation time Friday morning from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by a funeral service.

Binion says they are preparing to have an overflow of people for both the funeral and visitation.

“We expect a lot of people. That is going to be in the back part of our building in our ministry gym area. Those who come in later once the auditorium is full can be there,” Binion said.

The sheriff’s department will have a Sea of Blue to honor their brother. The procession will start at 8 p.m. Thursday night.

Sheriff Johnny Alexander says they had to make an adjustment to the meeting location.

“We are changing our location to the Design Team Lot, which is about a block away from Love and Truth Church. We will have officers there to direct the other officers on where to go to line up,” Alexander said.

The procession will head into Savannah, past the sheriff’s department on Water Street, and then turn back on Pickwick Road.

Alexander says the community is welcome to join.

“Any non-law enforcement that wants to line up to watch the Sea of Blue come through can line up anywhere along that route,” Alexander said.

He says they are grateful to see the community come out to honor Locke.

“We are just one big family as far as law enforcement goes. It helps our department heal, and the family having that support for the sacrifice deputy Locke has given to us and the country,” Alexander said.

A friend and fellow officers of Locke’s will be speaking at the funeral.

Savannah Church of Christ will be live streaming the funeral on their Facebook.