LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (WATE) — The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office hosted an anniversary memorial service Friday to remember and honor K-9 Sgt. Chris Jenkins, who was killed Feb. 3, 2022 while on duty.

The memorial service occurred at 8:30 a.m. Friday at the Loudon County Justice Center. LCSO invited all area first responders and members of the community to the event.

“The tragic loss of SGT Jenkins was devastating to not only our agency, but to our entire community, and we would love for you to join us in remembering the life of SGT Jenkins,” LCSO stated in its Tuesday post.

Sgt. Jenkins had been moving a ladder off of northbound Interstate 75 near mile marker 74 when he was hit and killed by a tractor-trailer on Feb. 3, 2022. A Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesperson at the time reported the oncoming tractor-trailer that struck Jenkins also hit his patrol unit and two other vehicles.

A truck driver accused in the death of Jenkins, Christopher Savannah of Houston, Texas, has court dates set for March and May in Roane and Loudon counties. A second driver, Sonny Beason of Loudon County, was charged with three counts of misdemeanor reckless endangerment and driving on a suspended license after investigators said he failed to secure the ladder that fell into the roadway. Beason has since pleaded guilty.

Jenkins had served the residents of Loudon County since 2002, when he worked as a corrections officer. He was promoted to patrol in 2003, and became a K-9 handler in 2007. Jenkins earned Patrol Supervisor of the Year in 2017. He was promoted to corporal in 2018, and promoted again in 2019 to sergeant.

A public memorial service honoring Sgt. Jenkins was held last year on Feb. 9 at the Loudon County High School gym and was attended by hundreds of people and law enforcement personnel. Loudon County Schools were also closed that day due to road closures for the memorial procession prior to his burial.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with a video of the Feb. 3, 2023 memorial service.