Thomas Hunter Rollins

Greene County Sheriff's Office — Greeneville, TN

Felonious

End of Watch June 24, 1925

Age 25

The Vigil Panel 49 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 7

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Hunter Rollins was shot and killed from ambush after raiding two stills in the Paint Creek section of Greene County.

The six-man raiding party were in a car leaving the scene when they were ambushed by eight moonshiners hiding in bushes nearby. Four of the officers, including Deputy Rollins and his father, were shot. His father and two deputies were seriously wounded. The subjects who opened fire fled into the mountains.

A week later eight moonshiners, one who was only 12-years-old, were arrested and charged in connection with Deputy Rollins' murder. Three escaped from the Greenville Jail on July 12, 1925. One of the three, the ringleader, age 23, was shot and killed two weeks later by Greene County deputies and three North Carolina deputies when he was ordered to throw up his hands and pointed a shotgun at them instead. On April 21, 1937, another escapee was captured in the Paint Creek area where the ambush took place. He was jailed for murder.

Of the eight, three were charged with murder including the one who was shot and killed. The other five were charged with accessory to murder, manufacturing liquor, and several other illegal liquor violations.

Deputy Rollins was survived by his wife.

Survivors

Deputy Rollins was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-D22F81DD
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Rollins served with the Greene County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Greeneville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Rollins.

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

Agency

Department Greene County Sheriff's Office

Location Greeneville, TN

Platform Identity gcso.greene.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 24, 1925

Age 25

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender One shot and killed; Two charged with mu

Deputy Sheriff Thomas Hunter Rollins is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 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 10.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Greene County Sheriff's Office, 4 of 8 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Greene County Sheriff's Office

of 8 officers

50% Felonious

TN — Statewide

498

of 769 officers

64.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious