Deputy Sheriff Johnny Gatson may not have been in Warren County for long, but he left an impact on the sheriff’s office. Gatson died in the line of duty last year, and his service was honored last weekend in Washington, D.C. along with other fallen officers.

Gatson died from a blood clot March 10, 2015, directly related to a broken leg he sustained in an on-duty vehicle crash during an ice storm Feb. 23, 2015. He was 58.

“Johnny was the kind of officer that every chief or sheriff would want working for him,” Sheriff Martin Pace said. “He was dedicated to duty, never shied away from work and had a excellent rapport with the public. He had excellent communication skills, was able to meet the public very well and I am certain he would have had a long career with Warren County, but God needed a deputy.”

The day of the crash, Gatson was southbound on Oak Ridge Road when his vehicle struck a patch of black ice, left the road and hit a tree, Pace said. During the crash, Gatson broke his left leg just below the kneecap.

“He was assigned to the patrol division at the time of the accident,” Pace said.

Gatson was treated and released from the hospital with what were thought to be minor injuries, but days later at his home he experienced shortness of breath and then became unresponsive.

“He was expected to only be off work a few weeks,” Pace said.

This past weekend Gatson’s widow Deborah, his daughter Chantal and Pace traveled to Washington, D.C. for Johnny’s name to be unveiled on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall with all the other officers killed in the line of duty in 2015.

Pace said programs were held throughout the weekend for the families of fallen officers to meet other families who had loved ones die in the line of duty. The two main ceremonies were a candle light vigil and a memorial service in front of the U.S. Capitol.

“I’m honored to be able to escort Deputy Johnny Gatson’s widow Deborah to Washington, D.C. for what was a very moving service,” Pace said. “The services themselves were very dignified and honored the memory of fallen heroes from all over the country.”

Another ceremony was held Tuesday night at the Carroll Gartin Justice Building in Jackson to remember all Mississippi officers who died in the line of duty in 2015.

Gatson was a 1977 graduate of Alcorn State University and spent 15 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He also had a career as a schoolteacher.

“He always had a desire to be a law enforcement officer and came into that profession with the Canton Mississippi Police Department,” Pace said.

Gatson joined the Warren County Sheriff’s Office in August 2013 and worked in the court services division and the patrol division, Pace said.

“Although he had not served with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office for very long, he quickly became a very important member of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office family,” Pace said.

The Gatsons were married Dec. 27, 2014. Donations are being collected to fund Mrs. Gatson’s travel expenses to Washington, D.C. Money orders or checks made out to Deborah Gatson will be accepted at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.