Alexander Gaines Russell
Agency patch
Chief of Police

Alexander Gaines Russell

South Pittsburg Police Department — South Pittsburg, TN
Felonious
End of Watch March 28, 1936
Age 71
Tour of Duty 40 yrs
The Vigil Panel 71 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Chief of Police Alexander Russell was struck and killed by a vehicle that was being pursued by deputies from the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

He had stepped into the roadway in an attempt to flag down the vehicle when he was struck.

Chief Russell had served in law enforcement for 40 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and seven children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-EDDFB52B
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

40 years. You could have gone home.
Chief of Police Russell gave the South Pittsburg Police Department 40 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the South Pittsburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Russell.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location South Pittsburg, Marion County, TN
Platform Identity sppd.marion.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 28, 1936
Tour of Duty 40 yrs
Age 71
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Vehicular assault
Weapon Automobile

Chief of Police Alexander Gaines Russell is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 64.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

South Pittsburg Police Department
1
of 1 officers
100% Felonious
TN — Statewide
498
of 769 officers
64.8% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Alexander Gaines Russell's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Alexander Gaines Russell Compares

Age at Death
71
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
40
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Alexander Gaines Russell is highlighted in Mar.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Alexander Gaines Russell was killed by automobile.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from South Pittsburg Police Department are honored on badge.nw.