One Year Later: Remembering Officer Garrett Crumby

Emily Moessner
·2 min read
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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Today the law enforcement community paused to remember fallen officer Garrett Crumby.

Officer Crumby was shot and killed in the line of duty on March 28, 2023, while responding to a shooting call at an apartment complex off Governors House Drive in Huntsville.

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Understandably, it was a tough day for the Huntsville Police Department, but officers held their heads high.

“Garrett wouldn’t want us to be hanging our heads down,” said Huntsville Police Chief Kirk Giles on Thursday.

Thursday afternoon members of the HPD West Precinct gathered to honor and share memories of Officer Crumby.

“It’s not a mourning day, it’s a celebration,” said Sergeant Dequan Hyter.

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Hyter was Crumby’s supervisor and said Crumby would’ve wanted officers to carry on like a normal day.

“It’s something that our guy Garrett Crumby would have wanted,” he said.

Officers chose to remember the things that they loved about Officer Crumby.

For Hyter, it was “his smile, his laughter, his jokes.”

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Hyter said Officer Crumby always came to work prepared.

“He always either had a Subway sandwich or a honeybun, or something in his hands that he was eating on,” Hyter said with a smile.

Crumby spent 8 years with the Tuscaloosa Police Department prior to his time at HPD. Hyter said Crumby never forgot to jokingly compare the two.

“We always would hear ‘Well Tuscaloosa would do this'” Hyter said while laughing. “Well, this is not Tuscaloosa, Garrett.”

Regardless of his zip code, or department name, ultimately, Officer Crumby gave his all for his community.

“Garrett sacrificed his life for us, he sacrificed his life for all of you,” Hyter said.

Huntsville Police Chief Kirk Giles said Officer Crumby’s brothers and sisters in blue won’t soon forget his memory.

“Garrett’s life certainly was not in vain and with that said we just remember him every day, not just today,” Giles said. “We think about him every day.”

Crumby’s mother was in attendance to the make-shift memorial ceremony at the West Precinct on Thursday. She chose not to speak on camera but stood solemnly during the remarks about Crumby.

Crumby’s mother also presented each officer in the precinct with a special “challenge coin”. Each coin contained a picture of Officer Crumby and his End of Watch date.

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