Local pastor remembers fallen Huntsville Officer Garrett Crumby

It hasn’t been long since Officer Garrett Crumby was serving and protecting residents in Tuscaloosa. Those close to Crumby said he was a lot of wonderful things: a son, a husband, a protector, a man of faith.

When he was shot and killed in the line of duty Crumby was only 36 years old. Crumby’s former Pastor Hank Atchison had a lot to say about his friend who was taken much too soon.

“Garrett was a fantastic man,” Atchison said. “When I first met Garrett, one of the things that stood out most to me was the passion he had for the job he did. He loved the people around him. He had a deep heart and concern for their well being and safety. He took his job very seriously.”

Crumby began his career at the Tuscaloosa Police Department in 2013, where he worked until he took at job at the Huntsville Police Department in 2020. While at TPD, he worked in the patrol division as a field training officer, helping to train new recruits. Atchison said Garrett would do just about anything to help people.

“It is heartbreaking to think about the reality of evil in the world,” Atchison said. “The fact that he was going to help and protect his community and it cost him his life. I do think there is some silver lining in that he is a wonderful example to us all of what it means to love your brother and love your neighbor next to you because he was willing to lay down his life for their wellbeing and their good. I am honored to know such a man as Garrett who was willing to lay down his life for the sake and safety of others.”

TPD released the this statement after Crumby’s death:

“We are heartbroken by the line-of-duty death of Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby yesterday.

Officer Crumby served as a Tuscaloosa Police officer from 2013 until accepting the job with Huntsville PD in August 2020. His wife worked for us as a dispatcher for several years. While we were sad to see both of them go, we were glad they had settled in and were thriving in her hometown.

A Huntsville news crew recently highlighted a reunion between Crumby, a fellow HPD officer and a citizen they assisted in 2022. The man had been pushing his wheelchair, filled with groceries, down a busy road just as a storm was coming in. The officers loaded the wheelchair and groceries in their patrol car, drove the man home and had everything inside just as the heavy rains began. He understood this job isn’t just about responding to crimes –  it’s about helping others and making connections with the people we serve.

Huntsville PD’s motto is ‘Courage, Integrity and Professionalism.’ Officer Crumby exhibited all of those qualities while serving the citizens of Tuscaloosa and Huntsville. Our thoughts are with his family, and the men and women of Huntsville PD as they mourn this terrible loss.”

Crumby’s visitation will be Sunday, April 2, from 3 to 6 p.m in Huntsville at Mayfair Church of Christ. His funeral service is Monday, April 3, at 10:30 a.m., in the same place.

He will be buried at Tuscaloosa Memorial Park.