Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff James Dickey was killed in an automobile crash while returning from investigating a previous vehicle crash.
At 6:15 a.m., Sheriff Dickey was driving north on U.S. 45, a mile from the Mississippi and Tennessee border, when the front right tire of his vehicle blew out, causing his vehicle to veer off the roadway and down an embankment into a wooded area.
Sheriff Dickey was a United States Army World War II veteran and had served with the McNairy County Sheriff's Office for six years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-5649D599- 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 Dickey gave the McNairy County Sheriff's Office 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Selmer community. Thank you 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
James A. Dickey served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Sheriff James A. Dickey 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 McNairy County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 6 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James A. Dickey's cause is highlighted.
How James A. Dickey Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James A. Dickey is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
5 officers from McNairy County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
