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Police Officer

Christy Jo Dedman

Metro Nashville Police Department — Nashville, TN

Felonious

End of Watch July 19, 2004

Age 34

Tour of Duty 11 mo

The Vigil Panel 339 · Column 2 · Line 11 ›

Gender Female

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 19

Incident

Officer Christy Dedman was struck and killed by the driver of a tractor-trailer while assisting a motorist on the side of Interstate 40 near Stewarts Ferry Pike.

Officer Dedman was aiding a motorist on I-40 near the Stewarts Ferry Pike ramp. Officer Dedman and the motorist were standing in front of the driver's side of the police car when it was struck from behind by the tractor-trailer, operated at speeds over 80 miles per hour and recklessly.

The cruiser was pushed into Officer Dedman and the motorist as they stood by a concrete retaining wall on the side of the highway. Officer Dedman's patrol car had its emergency lights on at the time.

Officer Dedman died at the scene. The motorist that was struck was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide and aggravated assault. Records showed that he had been arrested numerous times for reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, and driving with a suspended license. The suspect was released after only nine months, including time already served. As part of his release, he was barred from driving for three years. Within two weeks of his released, he was arrested in Kentucky for reckless driving.

Officer Dedman had served with the Metro Nashville Police Department for less than one year. She graduated from the academy in August 2003 and was assigned to the Hermitage Precinct.

A portion of Highway 100 was dedicated to the memory of Officer Dedman in August 2005.

Survivors

Officer Dedman is survived by her parents.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Dedman served with the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Nashville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Dedman.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Metro Nashville Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Nashville, Davidson County, TN

Platform Identity mnpd.davidson.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 19, 2004

Tour of Duty 11 mo

Age 34

Gender Female

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Vehicular assault

Weapon Automobile; Commercial

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Christy is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 2004, 79 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 86th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Christy was 34. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Christy had served 0.9 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where she stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile; commercial, in 0% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded