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Former lieutenant speaks on protecting officer lives while on duty amid rising deaths

"Last year, we had more police officers killed in the line of duty than we have since the 1930s," he said.

MEMPHIS, Tenn — Thursday morning's crash marked the 4th to kill a Memphis police officer in just the past year.

Officer Corille Jones was traveling down East Shelby Drive when he was hit by another driver. Both are now dead.

One non-profit is urging drivers to use more caution while behind the wheel. 

Long lines of patrol cars in a Sea of Blue, honoring the life of a fallen officer, is becoming a more common sight.

James Browning, the founder of non-profit Blue Blood Brotherhood, said officer deaths while on duty are up across the country.

“You had a total of 45 officers last year, in vehicle-related deaths this year,” said Browning. “Before, we had 38. So you're seeing an increase, but you're seeing an increase in everything. Last year, we had more police officers killed in the line of duty than we have since the 1930s.”

In 2021, Memphis police lost Officer Scotty Triplett after he was hit on his motorcycle. 

Officer Darrell Adams was killed when he was hit by an 18-wheeler while investigating a crash.

Officer Nicholas Blow also died when his patrol car was hit while he was leaving work. 

Now Officer Corille “CJ” Jones is gone too, killed while doing his job, after Thursday morning's collision.

Browning, who served in law enforcement for 20 years, cautions drivers to take precautions while behind the wheel. 

“The best thing they can do is, again, be alert to their surroundings, know what they're doing, pay attention to what's going on, and not so much about what's going on in the car,” Browning advised.  

Browning is setting a goal of providing increased driving training for officers.

“We're trying to set up something for every state,” he shared. “That's my personal goal. When we have, you know, 25 to 30 officers a year being killed in car crashes, if we can save one, if one can go home, because of something that they've learned, or for the refreshing of the training, it's worth it."

If you want to donate to help with officer training, click here

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