Crisp Co. Sheriff’s Office holds memorial service one year later for fallen Deputy Tyee Browne

CORDELE, Ga. – It’s been a year to the day that Crisp County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, Tyee Browne was killed in the line of duty. And, Friday morning, the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office celebrated the legacy of a deputy gone too soon.

Tyee’s mother, Kristina, and Crisp County Sheriff, Billy Hancock spoke with us following the memorial service…

And, a year later, it still doesn’t feel real.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been a year. You know. I just look for him all the time. Still waiting for the phone calls. So, it’s still just hard to deal with the day-to-day things sometimes,” said Kristina Browne Conley, mother, fallen Deputy Tyee Browne.

At the sheriff’s office especially, they’ve felt just as much of a loss over the past year.

“…Here we are at the anniversary of what happened this morning here. So, we’re just trying to get through those firsts and this is some of that firsts we have to do today. And, you know, we miss him. He was a sharp, great young man, who had served his country, and he had come back home, and he lost his life, trying to take care of people he didn’t even know,” said Sheriff Billy Hancock, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office.

Friday morning, Tyee’s name was placed on the memorial wall for officers who died in the line of duty…

One of the many posthumous honors he’s received in the last year.

But, to Sheriff Hancock, the loss still hits hard a year on.

“…This is the first time I’ve ever lost a deputy who I felt like I was in charge of. You always ask yourself ‘did I do the right thing?’ ‘Did I have enough people working?’ And, I continuously try to answer those questions and that we learn from it…” said Sheriff Hancock.

And, Kristina has the support of the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office to thank for helping her shoulder what’s been a terrible weight the last year.

“There ain’t no other that can hold up and do what this county’s done for me this year. Not one single county in the state of Georgia. None. They’ve been amazing. I get calls every day. Even the ones in the uniforms back there, we’ve all turned into brothers and sisters. They take me to dinner, they come to the house, I come to their house. We show a lot of support for each other, and like I said…I don’t know if I’d be standing there if it wasn’t for them,” said Conley.

Tyee Browne may not have been from Crisp county originally, his memory will live on here as the sheriff’s office helps Tyee’s family honor his memory.

The Crisp County Sheriff’s Office will also be dedicating a 1.7 miles stretch of Highway 280 Monday morning.

The 1.7 miles is in honor of Tyee’s badge number.

Brian Roche reporting.

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