Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

WHITEHEAD
YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ALIVE TO ME BECAUSE I WILL NOT EVER FORGET YOU! YOU ARE A WONDERFUL MAN, HUSBAND, DADDY, AND BROTHER. OVER THE YEARS YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME ALOT, EVEN WHEN YOU WENT TO ANOTHER DIVISON I ALWAYS KNEW THAT IF I NEEDED TO TALK OR LEARN YOU WOULD ALWAYS BE THERE. YOU ARE A PERSON THAT KNEW YOUR CO-WORKERS VERY WELL. I CAN REMEMBER SOME OF OUR CONVERSATIONS, ONE ESPECIALLY, WHERE YOU KEPT TELLING ME I WAS PREGNANT BUT I KEPT TELLING YOU THAT I WAS NOT, THAT I THOUGHT I SHOULD KNOW. WELL WHEN I CAME BACK TO WORK YOU WHERE THE ONE I TOLD FIRST THAT I WAS, AND ALL YOU COULD SAY WAS "I TOLD YOU SO". YOU WHERE ALWAYS THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED YOU. AT TIMES NOW WHILE AT WORK I ASK MYSELF HOW WOULD YOU DO IT IF YOU WHERE HERE IN THE JAIL. I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE MADE ME A BETTER OFFICER AND PERSON JUST BY KNOWING YOU. MY SON ALEXANDER "WHITEHEAD" SUTTON WANTED ME TO TELL YOU THAT HE MISSES YOU AND THAT SINCE YOU ARE A GOOD MAN YOU WENT TO HEAVEN AND THOSE BAD PEOPLE THAT SHOT YOU WILL GO TO THE DEVIL. HE HAS HELPED ME ALOT WITH YOU BEING GONE, HE HAS HELPED ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO GO HOME. BUT "HOME" IS A BETTER PLACE THAN HERE! IT IS FUNNY HOW MUCH YOUR CHILDREN CAN TEACH YOU IF YOU JUST LISTEN. MY PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS GO OUT TO YOUR WIFE AND CHILDREN. I KNOW YOUR WIFE KNOWS HOW MUCH YOU MEANT TO ALL OF US! I DON'T THINK ANYONE CAN EVER MEASURE UP TO YOUR STANDARDS, MAYBE THEY WILL COME CLOSE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THEY WILL SUCCEED. I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU. BY THE WAY SCOTT AND HAYLEY SAY HEY! WE LOVE AND MISS YOU **BROTHER**.

SGT. C. SUTTON
BIBB COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

June 2, 2006

May God Bless you and your family. Rest In Peace.

May 29, 2006

Thank you for your devotion to serve and to protect. I know that from heaven you are watching down on your family loving them and guiding them. I pray the Whitehead family peace and understanding during this time of grief.

Amy
Citizen of Bibb Co

May 23, 2006

Thank you for protecting and serving and for making the ultimate sacrifice. May God be with you and look over your family and friends.

Dep. T. Cumbie
Escambia County S.O., Florida

May 12, 2006

On behalf of the members of the Madison County Sheriff's Department, I extend our deepest sympathies to Deputy Whitehead's family, as well as, to his department. We pray that you find comfort in the fond memories you share of him and the special place he will hold within your hearts.
He has arrived into the safe and loving arms of God. Go forever in Peace, our brother.

Deputy Sheriff /SRO Robyn Michalove
Madison Co. Sheriff's Office, Marshall, N.C.

May 6, 2006

You are a hero among the men and women in blue. You may be gone from this earth but you will not be forgotten and your memory will live on in those lives that you touched. Thank you for your serve.

anonymous
GBI Agent

May 5, 2006

Our heartfelt condolences to Joseph's family, friends and co-workers. He will be in our prayers.

Ptl. P.K. Harding (Ret.)
Binghamton (NY) PD

May 4, 2006

Your watch is done, we have it from here. Rest in Peace, Hero.

Officer L. Madore
New Bern PD, New Bern, NC

April 30, 2006

As I interned with the Bibb County Sheriffs' Office, I had the chance to work with the drug unit. The one person I will remeber for a long time is Joe Whitehead. He was so funny when he said things, yer they had such deep meaning to me. As i followed him out to the streets, he always treated each citizen with great kindness and compassion, but he also knew how to get down to buisness. He was great, but now through his life, actions, and his death, he is the bright star in the sky, to which we all can look up to and remember. Thank you so much for your life and your example Mr. Whitehead, you will be sorely missed.
-Steven Fields

Steven Fields
Intern with the Bibb County Sheriffs Office

April 29, 2006

Thank you for your service. You are in my prayers.

Ofc. S.L. Coffman #15174
California Highway Patrol

April 28, 2006

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office lost a very good deputy on March 23, 2006. Besides being one of Bibb County's finest, he was a good man, a good father and a man that believed in God. He will be sorely missed by not only the men and women that worked in close proximity to him on a daily basis, but also the other deputies that he represented by wearing the uniform of the Sheriff's Office. It it my hope that Joe's memory will not fade into obscurity and the County will make a fitting memorial to his ultimate sacrifice he made for his fellow citizens. I personally thought very highly of Deputy Whitehead. Sometimes there is a misconception that those people that live in the so called "ivory towers" don't feel the heartache. I feel it deeply. I was a member of the same unit Joe was a member of for a very long time. Rest easy and know we are still on the job. We know you would want it that way. Please God, don't let it happen again?

Chief Deputy James Allen
Bibb County Sheriff's Office

April 27, 2006

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

-Jesus Christ

Anonymous
Georgia State Patrol

April 26, 2006

Joe, it has been over a month since you left. Booze, myself, and the rest of team really miss you. I wish that night had been a nightmare, but it was not. We all miss you and we are making sure that your family is taken care of. Brother, it is hard, but I know you would not want any of us to give up. Your were a protector on earth now you are an angel in heaven protecting us from above. Rest easy brother.

Deputy
Bibb Sheriff's Office

April 24, 2006

Rest easy brother. This is a tragedy so close to home. I remember the day like it was yesterday. Look out for the rest of us. You will be missed

Officer
Phenix City Police Department

April 21, 2006

Rest in peace brother, we've got the watch.

Sergeant J.L. Slaughter
Radford City Department of Police / Virginia

April 17, 2006

My prayers will be with you and your family, rest in peace, your job is done my brother. Your dedication will not be for not, damned be those that struck out against you.

Ofc. James Aylor
Memphis Police Department

April 14, 2006

I heard this morning about the loss of J.T. and the rest of my day has been one of sorrow, pain, a need to shed tears and emotions that I am unable to express. I have essentially been paralyzed and the day has slowly passed. It is sorrow for a mother losing her child, sorrow for a young life cut short; especially a life that was doing so much to make the world a better and safer place for all of us. It is also sorrow for not having seen J.T. grow up to become such a fine young man. This morning I read all 14 pages of “The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc.” I was unable to stop reading as I learned about the man that J.T. had become; the husband, father, Christian, and well-liked and well-respected public servant who gave his life in the line of duty. J.T. I am so proud of you! You and Lisa are loved by my family, no matter the time or the distance between us. It has been a long time since you were in “Girlville.” Today I remembered your smile, your eyes, facial expressions, your laugh (cracking up), how you made us laugh with your silly little boy jokes; Shiera and Lisa laughing at, teasing and trying to find privacy without you (a little boy and teenaged girls), your occasional pout and whine as a result; and of course, your bad Aunt who did not realize how that little prank we pulled would affect you. I just looked at your picture on Legacy.com and was surprised to see your uncle’s mouth, his jaw and other resemblance, except for your father’s eyes. What I remember most of all J.T. is all the delicious “gourmet” meals that I prepared, and finally one night you exclaimed at the dinner table, “Now this is the best meal we’ve had since I’ve been here!” It was beans and franks ;-). To your wife and children, Aunt Dee, Grandma Evans, and Lisa, my prayers will be for and with you. We don’t understand why bad things happen to good people, but it is not for us to understand or ask why. God knows; He does not make mistakes, and surely some good will result from J.T.’s death because as I read today, J.T. touched so many lives in a positive way, and his work and his memory will continue to live and thrive in Bibb County and in places and hearts unknown. “Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee” and continue to “Hold to God’s unchanging hand.”
Aunt “Van”

Aunt "Van"

April 13, 2006

J.T. is my cousin and we grew up together. His sister and I are six months apart, so she and I were more like sisters. We always treated J.T. like the annoying little brother. I remember how he enjoyed when his sister Lisa and I got into trouble during my visits to New Jersey. He used to hate coming to Massachusetts to visit our family because there were three girls plus his sister. I often laugh about the pranks he used to pull on us girs. He was always the odd man out, but we loved him. There were times we would spend the entire day outside playing kickball with the neighborhood kids. We lost touch as adults and I'm sorry for that. I am so proud of the man he turned out to be and I will always love him.
Your cousin,
Shiera

Shiera Coleman
Cousin

April 13, 2006

You paid the ultimate sacrifice and myself, your brother's in blue, and the community you served, will always be indebted to you. God bless you and your family.

Officer M. Geddings
Knoxville Police Department

April 11, 2006

My heart cried out that fateful day,
When news came you’d gone away.

I wish I’d once called you friend,
and now my brother your watch must end.

A Blue Angel I have heard you named,
A joyful smile for which you're famed.

You have your wings, and your badge you'll keep,
For those who knew you, we will weep.

When you patrol those streets above,
Know down here you are loved.

God needed you now to keep the peace,
The newest member of Heaven's Police.

In my heart you will always be,
And now a new meaning for DV. Divine Vigilance!

Thank you for your service brother.

Chris Russo, FCPD

Officer C. Russo
Fort Carson Police Department

April 11, 2006

Rest in peace my brother in blue. You are now in a better place. Thank you for your heroic service, you will never be forgoten. My prayers go to your family god bless them all.

POLICE OFFICER RENE SANCHEZ
BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, BOSTON MA.

April 11, 2006

As a fellow officer I understand the loss and pain caused. I would like to say thank you for such great service you provided to your community.

SDHP

Trooper
South Dakota Highway Patrol

April 10, 2006

Thank you for your willingness to live, serve and die for the people you swore to protect. May God richly bless your wife and children as they go forward from this day. Thank you again for your sacrifice!

Mrs. Beverly Sibley

April 10, 2006

Let's make an example of these guys. I am tired of seeing small penalties for cop killers.

April 9, 2006

Rest easy brother.

Ptlm J. Carr
Rome PD NY

April 8, 2006