Cheatham County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee
End of Watch: Thursday, February 4, 1982
Age: 23
Tour of Duty: 6 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 4, 1982
Weapon Used: Shotgun; 12 gauge
Suspect Info: Paroled
Deputy Sheriff Charles Jordan was shot and killed after responding to a burglar alarm at a pharmacy on Route 70, Pegram.
Although he was off-duty he lived nearby and was called to check the scene. When he arrived on the scene he informed dispatchers that he observed two suspects inside and that he had taken up a defensive position behind his patrol car to wait for backup officers.
A third suspect, who was acting as a lookout, approached him from behind and shot him in the back with a shotgun as he waited for the backup officers. The three suspects, who were brothers ages 28, 25, and 15, fled the scene but were all apprehended. The 25-year-old was the killer. The two older brothers were convicted of felony murder and sentenced to life. Their last mugshots were taken in 2003. At some point later they were paroled.
In 2000 a portion of Highway 70 in Cheatham County was renamed The Frank Jordan Memorial Highway in his memory.
Deputy Jordan was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Cheatham County Sheriff's Department for 10 months. He was survived by his mother, Reba, his sister, Pamela. and his brother, Johnny.