Harold Ray Presley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sheriff of Lee County, Mississippi | |
| In office 1993–2001 | |
| Preceded by | Jack Shirley |
| Succeeded by | Larry Presley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 5, 1948 |
| Died | July 6, 2001 (aged 52) |
| Relatives | Brandon Presley (nephew) Elvis Presley (first cousin once removed) |
Harold Ray Presley (October 5, 1948 – July 6, 2001) was an American sheriff known for his war against narcotics. He was the elected sheriff of Lee County, Mississippi, from 1993 to 2001.[1] In 1995, he won the Buford Pusser Officer of the Year Award for his tough stance against illegal drugs.[2] According to the Buford Pusser Home and Museum in Adamsville, Tennessee, Presley's department had confiscated more than $1 million in drugs including marijuana.[3]
A cousin of Elvis Presley, he was a popular sheriff.[4] He started a D.A.R.E. program in his department to work with schools and educate children about resisting drug use; he also started GED and work programs for inmates.[5][3] During Presley's tenure as sheriff, the county built a new juvenile detention center and a jail with capacity for 202 inmates.[3]
On July 6, 2001, Presley died in a shootout with an alleged kidnapper near Tupelo after pushing his deputy to safety.[6][7] In January 2008, a 7,766-pound monument which had been dedicated in his memory mysteriously vanished after having stood near the Lee County Jail for five-and-a-half years.[8] On July 6, 2022, 21 years after his death, the intersection of Interstate 22 and Auburn Road, Exit 90, in Lee County was dedicated as the Sheriff Harold Ray Presley Memorial Interchange.[9]
- ^ "MS Lee County National Reserve Law Officers Association". Archived from the original on December 9, 2006. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^ Torpy, Bill (May 27, 1995). "Tupelo sheriff to be honored for tough stand against drugs". The Atlanta Journal / The Atlanta Constitution. Georgia. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Gates, Jimmie E. (July 7, 2001). "Lee sheriff remembered for his war on drugs". Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:3was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Sheriff: Fatal shooting of Lee lawman followed chase (From 1A)". Clarion-Ledger. July 7, 2001. Retrieved October 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Harden, Clay (July 7, 2001). "Sheriff pushes deputy to safety before being killed". Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. Retrieved October 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Firestone, David (July 7, 2001). "National Briefing | South: Mississippi: Sheriff Dies In Shootout". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:6was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Sheriff Harold Ray Presley Memorial Interchange Dedication in Lee County". Picayune Item. July 7, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2024.