This news item expired on Saturday, April 25, 2015 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
On Saturday, April 25, 2015, the second annual Sgt. Jeff Hewitt Memorial 5K Run and Memorial Walk will be held at The Cliff’s Walnut Cove. The proceeds from this event will go to the Sgt. Jeff Hewitt Memorial Scholarship at AB Tech. This scholarship is awarded annually and enables a deserving young person to attain the education and training necessary in order to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Sgt. Jeffrey Todd Hewitt was killed in the line of duty while serving mental commitment papers at an area residence on April 4, 2004. Sgt. Hewitt climbed over a locked gate at the residence and observed the suspect hiding in the bushes with a shotgun. Immediately, Sgt. Hewitt warned his fellow officers, and was shot.
Although Sgt. Hewitt succumbed to his injuries on that day, his selfless actions are credited with saving the lives of the other deputies that accompanied him; it is believed that the suspect intended to wait for all of the deputies to climb over the gate before opening fire. Sgt. Hewitt was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Gulf War. He served with the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office for 11 years and was assigned to Edward Squad and SRT. On October 29, 2010 the new bridge on NC 146 over the French Broad River at I-26 was named the Sgt. Hewitt Memorial Bridge in honor of him.
Registration for the Sgt. Jeff Hewitt Memorial 5K Run and Memorial walk can be found at IMAthlete. For more information on the race and on Sgt. Jeff Hewitt, please go to the Sgt. Jeff Hewitt Memorial Page.