Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Ellis succumbed to a gunshot wound in the abdomen sustained 8 months earlier when he was shot while arresting a man on liquor charges at Crow's Hill. The suspect produced a handgun and shot Sheriff Ellis as he was being searched. Sheriff Ellis was taken to a local hospital and later removed to a hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, where he died on the operating table as doctors attempted to remove the bullet. The suspect, 52, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and released after a $7,500 bond was posted. Two weeks after Sheriff Ellis died, bondsmen turned him over to the sheriff at Cadiz, Kentucky. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to life.
Survivors
Sheriff Ellis was survived by his wife, two daughters, and two sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-56C6677C- 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.
Sheriff Ellis served with the Stewart County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Dover community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Ellis.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff Lucas Leon Ellis 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Lucas Leon Ellis's cause is highlighted.
How Lucas Leon Ellis Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Lucas Leon Ellis is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Lucas Leon Ellis was killed by handgun.