‘Good luck Joey:’ Sergeant retires from Cocke County Sheriff’s Office after 20 years in law enforcement

COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — Wednesday was an emotional day for many in the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office as they said farewell to a sergeant who has served in law enforcement for 20 years.

CCSO shared the news of Sergeant Joseph “Joey” Owings on Wednesday, saying he has been committed to the community and enjoyed his time with the office.

“We are very proud of him and his family for attending his retirement party today and we look forward to his continued friendship and love for our office. We also want to thank everyone that was able to attend his retirement ceremony today. Good luck Joey and we will miss you,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.

In January 2023, the sheriff’s office shared that Owings had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Throughout that year, the sheriff’s office and Grassy Fork Volunteer Fire and Rescue sponsored several events to benefit Owings. A flyer from one of the events proudly shared that Owings is also a lifetime member of the Grassy Fork VFD.

When sharing about his retirement on Wednesday, CCSO said his battle with cancer never slowed him down from fulfilling his duties.

“No matter how sick he got or how weak he got, he would come in to work to provide his services to our community,” wrote the sheriff’s office.

Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis, who is attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, also gave Owings a shout-out on social media.

“Shout out to Cocke County Sheriff’s Office , Newport Police Department , all of our first responders, and especially Joey Owings on his retirement from the CCSD today!” Mathis wrote.

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