Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Sam Varnado was struck and killed by a vehicle while conducting a traffic stop on Mississippi Highway 28, six miles east of Hazelhurst, at 5:45 pm. Sheriff Varnado was standing between his patrol car and another vehicle off the side of the road when a speeding dump truck could not stop traveling down the hill. The truck skidded to a stop atop Sheriff Varnado's patrol vehicle. He and the driver of the stopped vehicle attempted to jump clear, but Sheriff Varnado was pinned between the cars. He was rushed to Baptist Hospital with both legs broken. He succumbed to his injuries 19 days later. The driver of the truck was charged with manslaughter. Sheriff Varnado was a United States Army World War II veteran and had served with the Copiah County Sheriff's Office for 5-1/2 years. He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter. His wife served as Sheriff until a new election occurred.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MS-BDC02159- 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 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.
Sheriff Varnado gave the Copiah County Sheriff's Office 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Gallman 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Sammie Lee Varnado served in the Army (1942â1945) before joining law enforcement.
Sheriff Sammie Lee Varnado is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In MS, 89 of 349 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 25.5% of this state's fallen. That is 5.5 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Copiah County Sheriff's Office, 4 of 5 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 80% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Sammie Lee Varnado's cause is highlighted.
How Sammie Lee Varnado Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Sammie Lee Varnado is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Copiah County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
