MDOT names interchange after late Lee County sheriff Harold Ray Presley
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Jul. 6—TUPELO — The Auburn Road intersection with Interstate 22 in Lee County was officially named the Sheriff Harold Ray Presley Memorial Interchange Wednesday morning.
The ceremony was held on the 21st anniversary of the veteran lawman losing his life in the line of duty.
"This is so appreciated. I am glad we could do this today," said Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, a nephew of the late sheriff. "He left a legacy. That is evident by the fact he is still admired 21 years after he left us."
While the late Presley, who was known as just "Harold Ray," was widely known for exploits ranging from youthful indiscretions to being a hard-nosed lawman, the intersection played a role in his last hours.
Harold Ray was headed home Thursday, July 5, 2001, when he heard a call over the police radio. Law enforcement was chasing an assault suspect out of Tupelo. He drove to the Auburn Road bridge over then Highway 78 to wait for the deputies in pursuit. In the early morning hours of the next day, Harold Ray was shot as the suspect tried to run from an out building on Fellowship Road.
------
»RELATED
------
The Wednesday dedication filled the community room at the Tombigbee Electric Power Association with family, friends and former coworkers who were more than happy to swap stories about Presley
"In East Tupelo, everybody has an Elvis Presley story and most also have a Harold Ray story," said Tupelo City Councilman Buddy Palmer, whose family hired a teenage Harold Ray to work in their grocery store.
Palmer recalled Presley as a "rather rambunctious young man" who enjoyed a cold beer and a "round of fisticuffs."
"But he was also a handsome, charismatic, hard-working young man," Palmer said.
Lee County Supervisor Phil Morgan recalled working with Presley to raise money to purchase an explosive-sniffing dog following a series of bomb threats at schools and businesses in 2001.
"Harold Ray was gritty. He was happy kicking in doors and chasing suspects," Morgan said. "But he could also be diplomatic and caring."
Brandon Presley described his uncle as a "perfect mix of Bufford Pusser and Andy Griffith."
"He had a lot of rough and tumble in him. His willingness to be out there on the front line is the reason he lost his life," Brandon Presley said. "But Harold Ray wouldn't have wanted to die in a hospital bed. He led by example. He wanted to be at the forefront."
In order to have the interchange named in Presley's memory, the Lee County Board of Supervisors had to pass a resolution, then get the Lee County delegation to introduce the matter to the state legislature. House Bill 303 passed during the 2022 session.
Transportation Commissioner John Caldwell told the crowd that they will now look at similar dedication signs differently.
"You will realize that the people who get these tings made a difference in their community. A life of service goes before the sign," Caldwell said. "You will see the signs different now. I know I do."
The Mississippi Department of Transportation paid for the two signs on the interstate. The Lee County Board of Supervisors purchased the signs on Auburn Road.
