Chris Davis, the sheriff of Humphreys County, Tenn., had barely sat down at the Log Cabin Restaurant in the community of Hurricane Mills when he was back on his feet to receive a hug.
“They got the right man for the job,” a worker at the restaurant said after embracing him. “This whole county knows it.”
“You’re going to put tears in my eyes,” Sheriff Davis said. He grabbed a napkin a few minutes later.
It was the start of another emotional day for Mr. Davis, who has become the face of local grief in public briefings after a blast at an explosives plant on his county line left 16 people dead. He has publicly stood alongside another sheriff, Jason Craft of neighboring Hickman County, as well as agents and experts sifting through the volatile remnants of the explosion. But Sheriff Davis has drawn notice for fighting through his anguish to relay the magnitude of the devastation, frequently pausing in an effort to compose himself.
Across several small, rural communities of the Middle Tennessee region, everyone is seemingly connected in some way to the families of the victims, who have yet to be formally identified. And Sheriff Davis is no different; he, too, knows some of the families personally.
He was out front again on Sunday, standing with Gov. Bill Lee and visiting with the families at a church near the Accurate Energetic Systems facility where the explosion occurred. Governor Lee, who took an aerial tour of the site, pledged a thorough investigation into the explosion and offered his condolences and prayers to the families.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post A Tennessee Sheriff Becomes the Face of Grief After Plant Explosion appeared first on New York Times.
