Ken Wright Sr.

Bradley County Sheriff's Office — Cleveland, TN

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch August 22, 1971

Age 54

The Vigil Panel 108 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 3

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Ken Wright was shot and killed while attempting to make an arrest. Deputy Wright was backing up a Cleveland, Tennessee, police officer who was attempting to arrest a suspect on Broomfield Road. The suspect pulled a gun and started shooting. Deputy Wright was able to push the Cleveland police officer out of the line of fire but was shot and killed. On March 21, 1972, the suspect was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 10 to 15 years. In 1975 his sentence was commuted to just 10 years and he was released a few months later. In 2004 was arrested on federal narcotics and firearms charges. He was convicted of those charges and returned to prison. Deputy Wright was a U.S. Army veteran of WWII.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-4EE772A0
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Ken is one person.

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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.
Deputy Sheriff Wright served with the Bradley County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Cleveland community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Bradley County Sheriff's Office

Type Sheriff's Office

Location Cleveland, Bradley County, TN

Platform Identity bcso.bradley.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 22, 1971

Age 54

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Ken Wright Sr. served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Ken Wright Sr. 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%.

At Bradley County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Bradley County Sheriff's Office

of 4 officers

50% Felonious

TN — Statewide

498

of 769 officers

64.8% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious