A Camden County deputy who died in the line of duty more than 60 years ago will be inducted into the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
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On March 5, 1964, Deputy John Arthur Hazelton was killed in a car accident involving two other vehicles in Glynn County. Passengers in Hazelton’s patrol car also died in the crash.
In 2021, Sgt. Andrew Reed of the Camden County Sheriff’s Department had discovered an error while reviewing the Officer Down Memorial page. Sergeant Reed reported his findings to Roger Parer of The Georgia COcerns for Police Survivors. They then discovered that Deputy Hazelton’s name had not been added to the National Memorial in Washington DC
After three years of extensive government documentation and a wide range of obstacles faced by Sgt. Reed, his end goal was finally achieved.
On October 30, 2024, Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor received a letter from William Alexander, Chief Executive Officer of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, stating that Deputy Hazelton’s name had been approved for inclusion on the National Memorial because of Sgt. Reed efforts.
Shortly thereafter, Sgt. Reed was able to locate Deputy Hazelton’s daughter, Elizabeth Hazelton Connor. He informed her of the honor her father’s name would receive during a ceremony when he presented her with the official letter from the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Organization.
Deputy John Arthur Hazelton’s name will be formally dedicated on May 13, 2025 during the 37th annual candlelight vigil during National Police Week.
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