Roll of Honor
Billy Melton Stevens
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Billy Stevens suffered a fatal heart attack after struggling with two inmates attempting to escape from the Davidson County Jail. The inmates had attacked guards with a makeshift knife and a mop handle. During the struggle Deputy Stevens was struck in the chest several times with the mop handle and suffered the heart attack. Both suspects were kept in custody in the jail. Deputy Stevens was a U.S. Air Force veteran.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, daughter, mother, and brother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-8BAF418A- 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.
Deputy Sheriff Stevens served with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Nashville 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
Billy Melton Stevens served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Deputy Sheriff Billy Melton Stevens is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TN, 37 of 769 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 4.8% of this state's fallen. That is 0.8 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.
At Davidson County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 8 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 12.5% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Billy Melton Stevens's cause is highlighted.
How Billy Melton Stevens Compares
Offender Outcome
Kept in custody
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Billy Melton Stevens is highlighted in May.
Others Who Wore This Badge
7 officers from Davidson County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
