Education fund set up for son of slain Knox County sheriff's deputy Tucker Blakely

Liz Kellar, Knoxville News Sentinel
Updated ·2 min read

The family of slain Knox County sheriff's deputy Tucker Blakely has established an education fund to accept donations for his 5-year-old son, Hendrik.

The Hendrik Blakely Education Fund was set up with the help of the Knox County Sheriff's Office, said Ty Blakely, Tucker's brother. Donations can be made to the fund at Knoxville Law Enforcement Federal Credit Union, 501 E. Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville TN 37915.

Those wishing to help out can drop off donations to the credit union, which is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday except Wednesday, when it closes at 12:30 p.m. Donations to the fund also can be mailed to the credit union or sent electronically via the donor's financial institution, a credit union staff member told Knox News.

Tucker Blakely, 29, died late Oct. 2 after he was shot the night before while responding to a domestic disturbance. He is survived by his wife and son.

Tucker served as a U.S. Army Reserve combat medic before joining the sheriff's office, and was on his last patrol shift on Oct. 1. He was scheduled to take an assignment as a K-9 officer and had already chosen his dog, his brother told Knox News.

An investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is ongoing.

Outpouring of support for Blakely family

Members of the law enforcement community from around the country, along with hundreds of local residents, have expressed condolences to the Blakely family.

"I want to say a huge thank you to Sheriff Spangler, and way too many sheriff's' offices and police departments to mention," Ty Blakely said, adding he wanted to highlight the support from Knox County Sheriff's Office, Knoxville Police Department, Knoxville Fire Department, the University of Tennessee Police Department and UTMC staff.

"All of them were absolutely amazing, they bent over backwards to assist us," he said. "We have not wanted for anything ... anything we needed, they coordinated and made happen. The support and the love that has poured out from the community has just been amazing."

Liz Kellar is a Tennessee Connect reporter. Email liz.kellar@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tucker Blakely death: Knoxville fund set up for son of fallen deputy