DeKalb County Police Department, Georgia
End of Watch: Tuesday, December 29, 1998
Age: 33
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 6 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: December 29, 1998
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Arrested
Police Officer Jarvis Crumley was killed when his patrol car struck a utility pole as he was responding to assist another officer.
The second officer had been left with three juvenile car thief suspects when other units on the scene left to assist in another car chase.
After the other units left several adults appeared and began to argue with the officer, who then requested assistance. Officer Crumley was responding from approximately a quarter mile away. He was traveling at a high rate of speed and, as he crested a hill on Glenwood Road, another vehicle pulled out 400 yards in front of him from the Lorrain Apartments. He swerved to avoid the vehicle and struck the utility pole, cracking it in half.
The driver of the second vehicle, who was driving drunk, was arrested later in the night. Officer Crumley was wearing his seat-belt and his airbag deployed but the impact was so great that he still suffered fatal injuries.
Officer Crumley had served with the DeKalb County Police Department since August 1997. He is survived by his wife and one child.