Robert Bowlin Sr.
Deputy Sheriff

Robert Bowlin Sr.

Accident
End of Watch October 31, 2016
Age 57
Tour of Duty 19 yrs
The Vigil Panel 166 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Robert Bowlin succumbed to injuries sustained on November 11th, 2006, when he was struck by a vehicle on I-81.

He was investigating another vehicle crash when an oncoming pickup truck drove off the roadway and struck him. He was never able to fully recover from his injuries and he died as a direct result of complications on October 31st, 2016.

Deputy Bowlin had served with the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office for 19 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, two sons, and two grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-1C4EBAAF
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Bowlin gave the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Blountville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Bowlin.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Blountville, Sullivan County, TN
Platform Identity scso.sullivan.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 31, 2016
Tour of Duty 19 yrs
Age 57
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Cause Detail Struck by vehicle

Deputy Sheriff Robert Bowlin Sr. is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In TN, 191 of 769 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 24.8% of this state's fallen. That is 24.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Sullivan County Sheriff's Department, 3 of 12 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.

Sullivan County Sheriff's Department
3
of 12 officers
25% Accident
TN — Statewide
191
of 769 officers
24.8% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert Bowlin Sr.'s cause is highlighted.

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

How Robert Bowlin Sr. Compares

Age at Death
57
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
19
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Robert Bowlin Sr. is highlighted in Oct.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location