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Correctional Officer

Frederick Gayle Hyatt

Tennessee Department of Correction — Nashville, TN

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch November 8, 2003

Age 59

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

The Vigil Panel 151 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 13

Incident

Officer Frederick Hyatt was strangled and beaten to death during an escape attempt by five inmates at the Middle Tennessee Correctional Complex at 7177 Cockrill Bend Boulevard in Nashville.

Other officers noticed an inmate in a common area, out of his cell, at approximately 11:30 pm. The officers attempted to contact Officer Hyatt, who was assigned to the common area, but were unable to reach him.

When officers responded to the common area, they located Officer Hyatt's body. He had been strangled with a cord from a laundry bag and beaten with his flashlight and a sock filled with canned food. Officer Hyatt was taken to Saint Thomas Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

None of the five inmates were able to escape, and all were kept in custody at the prison.

Officer Hyatt was a United States Army Vietnam veteran and had served with the Tennessee Department of Correction for 11 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-370B3E30
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

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Correctional Officer Hyatt gave the Tennessee Department of Correction 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Nashville community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Tennessee Department of Correction

Type Corrections

Location Nashville, TN

Platform Identity tdc.davidson.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 8, 2003

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Age 59

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Military Service

Frederick Gayle Hyatt served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Correctional Officer Frederick Gayle Hyatt 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 97,759 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%.

At Tennessee Department of Correction, 11 of 14 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 78.6% of this agency's fallen.

Tennessee Department of Correction

of 14 officers

78.6% Felonious

TN — Statewide

498

of 769 officers

64.8% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious