Emotional Sea of Blue honors fallen hero

BOLIVAR, Tenn. — Hundreds came out to light up the streets in a Sea of Blue Saturday night  in Bolivar to honor a fallen hero.

Deputy Lynn Shields; Courtesy Facebook

44 police cars drove the streets in Hardeman Co. in remembrance of  Lynn Shields, a law enforcement officer for the county. Shields lost his battle to cancer at age 49 on Dec. 16.

His co-workers said they will always remember him as family.

“As a blue family we are really close and we are going to miss him terribly,” chief of police Steven Stanley said. “Prayers are what are needed at this time.”

Officer Shields is described as a dedicated cop, a man who loved his family and a host to his family and friends.

Stanley said normally events like this would be closed to the public, but since he touched so many lives they opened it up to the community.

“If you knew anything about Lynn Shields, you would know the community loved him as much as his blue family did,” he said.

Stanley said he touched hearts far and wide.

Officers from agencies came from as far as Mississippi to participate in the sea of blue.

“This man touched hearts all across West Tennessee, and even into Mississippi and Kentucky,” he said. “He was just one of those guys that everybody loved.”

Sheriff John Doolen said he has worked with Shields for years and his legacy will never be forgotten.

“He would roll his windows down in the dead of winter and run around town with his windows down,” he remembered. “Everybody would ask him why, and he said if you can’t hear something going on, you don’t know something is going on. That was just the type of person he was.”

Deputy Shields worked for Hardeman county for six years.

His funeral services are set for Sunday.