Fallen Huntsville police officer had deep ties to Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - The shock of the Huntsville Police Department losing one of its own is being felt throughout the state and particularly in Tuscaloosa.

Officer Garrett Crumby died Tuesday afternoon after he was shot in the line of duty. Crumby and his partner were responding to a shooting incident. The other policeman was also shot and remains hospitalized.

Officer Crumby graduated from Hillcrest High School in 2004, became a volunteer firefighter and then started his law enforcement career with the Tuscaloosa Police Department in November 2013.

Crumby’s former pastor remembers Crumby all too well and those memories are those of a young man who had a servant’s heart.

“What stood out the most was his passion for the job he loved. He loved the people around him and he had a deep heart and concern for their well-being and their personal safety,” said pastor Hank Atchison.

Tuscaloosa City Council President Kip Tyner got the message Tuesday night from Garrett Crumby’s own mother.

“Hard to believe. Very dear friends with his mother, close friends. We were just talking to him in her office not long ago about how worried everyday of her life about how bad things had gotten with police departments, not just here but all over,” said Tyner.

Crumby left Tuscaloosa PD in 2020 and joined the force with Huntsville Police. Gone for three years, Pastor Hank Atchison says his friend was ‘exceptional’.

The pastor was not at all surprised by the officer’s courage under fire when he answered his final 911 call.

“Just the reality he was going to help. He was going to protect and serve his community. It cost him his life,” said Atchison.

A life well-lived, according to those who knew him. Garrett Crumby was 36.

“He was a wonderful example to us all to love your brother and your neighbor,” Atchison added.

According to Pastor Atchison, the funeral will take place in Huntsville, but he will be buried in Tuscaloosa. Arrangements haven’t been announced yet.

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