Murfreesboro Police Officers Eddie Burgess and David Blackwell were honored this past Friday during a special ceremony at the Police Headquarters. Burgess retired from the department with 28-years of service. Blackwell retired with 14-years under his belt. However, this was Blackwell's second retirement. He previously retired from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

During the ceremony, Burgess was presented with his duty weapon and badge that was in a specially made box engraved with his name on it. Chief Glen Chrisman also noted one of the more memorable incidents that Burgess played a key role in that revolved around a plane crash.

On July 4, 2000, Mitchell Clark Herndon was flying a single engine Cessna with flight instructor Patrick Michael Couch when the plane went down behind Middle Tennessee Christian School on Dover Court. With the help of neighbors, Officer Burgess and nearby residents removed Herndon from the wreckage which ultimately saved his life. Unfortunately, Couch died in the crash. According to a DNJ newspaper article from year 2000, Officials said the wreckage didn't appear to be survivable.

Chief Chrisman also reminded those in attendance about a case that Officer Blackwell was involved in at a physical therapy office on North Highland Avenue. In that situation, a Murfreesboro man was shot in the face at the local healthcare office. Workers inside the building thought the shooter was still on site and hid in an upstairs room. Blackwell was one of the first on the scene and helped calm the intense emotions which led to a better description of the suspect and eventually an arrest.

Blackwell and Burgess also helped to solve a 2007 kidnapping that was reported on Palmer Drive.