March 1, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
A 28 year old Lebanon Police Officer who lived in DeKalb County lost his life in a tragic accident Thursday morning.
Joseph Bowen was driving home from work in his 2008 Chevy Silverado extended cab pickup when the truck left Highway 70 and went down a rocky embankment before hitting a large tree and plunging into the swift waters of Dry Creek at Dowelltown. The truck was carried a few feet downstream and came to rest partially submerged on its passenger side.
When Bowen didn’t arrive back home, family members became concerned and contacted authorities. Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan notified Sheriff Patrick Ray that family members had reported Bowen missing and a search began along the route from Lebanon to Smithville.
According to Sheriff Ray, members of the Lebanon Police Department and Wilson County Sheriff’s Department were involved in the search along with the Alexandria Police Department and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department. A BOLO (Be on the lookout) was also issued by the sheriff’s department through central dispatch. Verizon pinged Bowen’s cell phone in DeKalb County in the area of Nashville Highway and Goose Creek Road. The phone was last used at 7:29 Thursday morning.
After the truck was spotted in the creek the BOLO was cancelled but Bowen remained missing. Search teams were organized to comb the creek and an aerial helicopter search was conducted by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. One of the teams later found Bowen’s body in the creek several hundred yards from where his truck was located.
Agencies involved in the search included members of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue, DeKalb Emergency Management Agency, DeKalb EMS, Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad, TWRA, Alexandria Police and Fire Departments, Smithville Police officers, Tennessee Division of Forestry, Putnam County Swift Water Rescue, Lebanon Police and Wilson County Sheriff’s Department, and several concerned citizens who volunteered to help. The THP assisted with a ground and aerial search and the THP Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) investigated the crash along with Trooper Bobby Johnson.
Prior to going to work for the Lebanon Police Department, Bowen was employed at the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Ray said Bowen was a good officer and will be missed
“Joe Bowen and his family have been true servants to this county. Joe’s wife, Kim, is a 911 dispatcher for DeKalb County. His father, Dewayne, was a former deputy in DeKalb County before leaving to go to the Lebanon Police Department. Joe has served as a volunteer fireman for DeKalb County. He started his career in law enforcement working for my department as a correctional officer. I then promoted him to a deputy position where he worked in that capacity until he left my department to go to the Lebanon Police Department. Joe was much more than an employee to me. He was a true friend. His personal life and work ethics were a true example of what every officer should be like. My department, along with other emergency agencies in the county, mourn his loss and will provide his family for whatever support they need,” said Sheriff Ray.
In a Facebook post, the Lebanon Police Department “ is asking for prayers as we mourn the loss of one of our officers. Veteran Officer Joe Bowen. Officer Bowen leaves behind a wife, 2 children, and a family that loved him, both by blood and in blue”.