Munford honors MPD officer killed in shootout
MUNFORD, Tenn. — It was an emotional evening as a Memphis Police officer’s hometown and alma mater came together to honor his life.
The community gathered to pay their respects to Memphis Police Officer Joseph McKinney who was shot and killed in the line of duty just over a week ago.
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McKinney was from Munford, a town in Tipton County. He graduated from Munford High School in 2016. Many knew him as Rusty, a loving, friendly guy, who wanted to make his community a better place.
“Rusty was a fine young man and he had it in his heart early in his life to be a police officer and fulfilled that dream,” Munford Mayor Dwayne Cole said.
Generations of alumni and community members came out, all wearing blue. McKinney played trombone in the high school band, and his former bandmates and director shared stories.
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“He’s one of the rare people in my life who loved everybody unconditionally,” former band teacher Barry Trobaugh said. “I’ve never seen a young man who understood how much it means to care for people. To lose him is, it just hasn’t sunk in yet.”
“He was one of the most skilled trombone players for his year. Super intelligent,” former band member Hunter Doo said. “It’s really sad to see that someone with that much potential not being here anymore.”
In addition to leaving behind a community that cared deeply for him, he leaves behind a wife and a young child. McKinney will be laid to rest on Monday at Memorial Park following a service at Hope Church in Cordova.
Sunday night, there will be a Sea of Blue starting at 7:45 p.m. at Southland Mall. The route, shown in a map below, starts in Whitehaven, winds through the Westhaven area, and ends on Raines Road.
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