Roll of Honor
Incident
Lieutenant Smith was killed in an automobile accident while responding to an officer needs assistance call that was broadcast over the police radio shortly after midnight. He was travelling on Clarksville Highway when his patrol car collided with a pickup truck.
Survivors
survivors I ever worked for. He was a gentle soul and someone I looked up to. Was my honor to stand honor guard at his funeral. Surely missed by all.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-37E3E700- 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.
Lieutenant Smith gave the Metro Nashville Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Nashville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Smith.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Lieutenant John Wesley Smith, III 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 TN, 191 of 769 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 24.8% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Metro Nashville Police Department, 7 of 20 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 35% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Wesley Smith, III's cause is highlighted.
How John Wesley Smith, III Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. John Wesley Smith, III is highlighted in May.
Others Who Wore This Badge
19 officers from Metro Nashville Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
