Sheriff’s Deputies Earn Jerry Anderson Hero Award

Four Rutherford County Sheriff’s deputies earned the Jerry Anderson Hero Award from the Murfreesboro Chapter of the NAACP.

MLK Breakfast Celebration Committee Chair Carolyn Cox presented awards to recipients Detective Mark Anderson, Cpl. Scott Martin, Deputy Jimmy Tedder and SRO David Ashburn.

The deputies worked together to save the life of a 2-month-old infant who was being choked by his father.

Carolyn Cox, chair of the MLK Breakfast Celebration Committee, presented the awards to the deputies with Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh.

Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh commended the deputies for their quick actions in responding to the baby’s needs and detaining the father.

“Their actions saved the life of this baby,” Fitzhugh said. “They are true heroes for keeping him alive.”

Martin, Anderson and Jimmy Tedder responded to the family home where the father was choking the lifeless and blue baby on Dec. 15, 2020.

Deputies rescued the baby from the father. Cpl. Martin started CPR until the baby took a breath and cried. Martin handed the baby to the mother and helped other deputies detain the father.

Ashburn arrived just as the baby stopped breathing a second time and performed CPR on the baby until he breathed again.

Jerry Anderson was a Murfreesboro native who played in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was fishing when he saved two boys from drowning but he drowned in the Stones River May 27, 1989 in Murfreesboro.

The Murfreesboro Chapter of the NAACP memorializes Anderson with the annual Jerry Anderson Hero Award.