March 2023 Blues Vol 39 No. 3

AROUND THE COUNTRY yrs.

AROUND THE COUNTRY yrs. CAIRO, GA. A South Georgia community is mourning a police officer who died while “serving the community he so loved.” Master Patrol Officer Clarence “CJ” Williams died Saturday, Jan. 28, while on duty, the Cairo Police Department confirmed. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the circumstances surrounding his death. Authorities said Williams was assisting sheriff’s deputies in a traffic stop-turned-foot chase when he suffered a medical emergency, WALB reported, citing police. He died at the scene. “He joined the department in 2020 and quickly gained the respect and love of all that met him,” the department said. “Please keep his family in your prayers as we do the same.” Tributes from friends and fellow officers flooded social media after news of Williams’ death. Travoris Belcher described the fallen officer as “the true definition of a friend.” “If you Knew my brother CJ Williams you knew his passion for this job,” Belcher wrote on Facebook. “He never quit when things got rough, he made a way to get over that hump and never looked back.” One of Williams’ former teachers remembered him as a “sweetheart and so respectful.” “The last time I saw him he thanked me for keeping them in line and that’s going to stick with me,” she wrote. OFFICER CLARENCE WILLIAMS Cairo is about 30 miles north of Tallahassee, Florida. 18 The BLUES The BLUES 19