JPD honors Bailey with monument
Jackson Police Department gathered with city leaders and the family of Andy Bailey on Monday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Bailey’s death.
Bailey died in the line of duty.
He was a 31-year officer at JPD, preparing to retire at some point in the short-range future.
At about 9 a.m. on June 17, 2004, an armed robbery at Old Hickory Mall was reported, and the suspect fired a shot in the air as he ran out of the mall and to his car.
Bailey was one of the JPD officers who engaged the suspect, who led them on a high speed chase that ended on the northern end of Downtown when the suspect lost control of his car and wrecked it.
Bailey was the first to him and pulled his car next to the suspect’s, who got out and fired three shots into Bailey’s car, mortally wounding him.
Bailey was still able to help cover other officers who apprehended the suspect before he was taken to Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, where he died later that day.
“Every year on that day, we think of Andy and reflect on his sacrifice,” said JPD Chief Thom Corley. “This location is less than 200 feet from the very place where he was shot, so it’s fitting that we place a monument here honoring him.”
Corley told the story of how the location was determined to honor Bailey. Knowing the 20th anniversary of his death was coming up, Corley and others at JPD were trying to figure out a good place for a monument with no immediate obvious places making themselves available.
Then last year, the City of Jackson leadership and The Greater Jackson Chamber agreed to have the bust of Jonas Kisber, Jr., a longtime business owner in Jackson in the 20th century, moved to the Chamber’s conference room to honor him at a place where he had a large impact.
“That just goes to show you how divine intervention can work,” Corley said. “We were looking for a spot for this, and at the same time, a monument that was here was moved for unrelated reasons.
“And I think this is a great place to honor Sgt. Bailey for his sacrifice.”
The monument sits in the southwest corner of the roundabout at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and Deadrick Street that serves as the northern gateway into Downtown.
The monument is made of granite and has a description of the situation in which Bailey lost his life, and on top of it is a bronze lion.
“We feel like the lion symbolizes the role of law enforcement in protecting the public, which is what Sgt. Bailey was doing that day,” Corley said. “And it also represents the strength, courage and valor officers are expected to display while serving and protecting the people.”
Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news
