Jimmy ClarkCROWDER — A stretch of Mississippi Highway 322 in Quitman County now bears the name of a law enforcement officer who gave his life serving the community he loved.
Family, friends and fellow law enforcement officers gathered July 2 in Crowder for the dedication of the James “Jimmy” Clark Memorial Highway, honoring former Quitman County Deputy James E. Clark, who was killed in the line of duty in 2017.
The newly designated memorial highway covers a one-mile section of Highway 322 from the intersection with Black Road extending east.
Clark died Aug. 13, 2017, when his patrol vehicle crashed while he was responding to a shooting call. Members of the Quitman County Sheriff’s Department joined loved ones at the dedication ceremony, held at Crowder Assembly of God.
“He was one of the best police officers that ever served this town,” longtime friend and former co-worker Mike Hankins said during the ceremony. “He gave his life doing what he loved. He was willing to sacrifice, and he sacrificed his life for this community.”
Born Oct. 26, 1966, in Norfolk, Virginia, Clark grew up in Chugwater, Wyoming, where he graduated from Wheatland High School in 1986. Although he cherished returning home to visit family and friends, organizers said his heart belonged to Crowder and Quitman County, where he lived with his wife, Hermanda Macknally Clark.
Clark began serving the Town of Crowder as police chief in April 2009 after graduating from the Mississippi Delta Community College Law Enforcement Training Program. He remained police chief until October 2015, when he joined the Quitman County Sheriff’s Department as a deputy, serving the county for nearly two years before his death.
A one-mile stretch of Highway 322 in Quitman County now honors the memory of fallen Deputy James “Jimmy” Clark, who died in the line of duty while responding to a shooting call in 2017. Family, friends and fellow officers gathered for the highway dedication ceremony in Crowder. (MDOT)His service and sacrifice have been recognized nationally and statewide. During National Police Week in May 2018, Clark was posthumously awarded the Medal of Supreme Sacrifice by the Fraternal Order of Police during a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump at the White House. His name was also added to both the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Jackson.
Mississippi Department of Transportation Commissioner John Caldwell of the Northern Transportation District attended the dedication alongside Clark’s family.
The memorial highway now stands as a permanent tribute to Clark’s dedication, service and ultimate sacrifice in protecting the people of Quitman County.
A one-mile stretch of Highway 322 in Quitman County now honors the memory of fallen Deputy James “Jimmy” Clark, who died in the line of duty while responding to a shooting call in 2017. Family, friends and fellow officers gathered for the highway dedication ceremony in Crowder. (MDOT)
