This is a letter from the family of Officer Crumby:

On Tuesday, March 28, Huntsville Officer Garrett Coulter Crumby’s watch ended – the worst day of our lives. He was only 36 years old. A bright light had been extinguished, setting off waves of intense grief we will endure for a long time to come.

Garrett was an indispensable part of our family – woven into nearly every aspect of our lives. He’s our jokester, our protector, and our example of what it is to be a good citizen. We were so proud of him and always will be. We know this is a wound that will never heal – that things will just be different. There will always be an empty chair at our table.

We couldn’t have gotten through the first week without the incredible support of so many people across the law enforcement community, the people he adored serving and protecting, our unwavering network of friends, and our extended family.

We want to thank the following people and organizations for your generosity, support, and counsel during this difficult time:

• The citizens of Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, and surrounding counties
• Chief Kirk Giles
• Deputy Chief Michael Johnson
• Officer Jordon Jones
• Lieutenant Ronnie Dickey
• Mayfair Church of Christ
• Berryhill Funeral Home
• Huntsville emergency response services and the medical staff at Huntsville Hospital
• Sergeant DeQuan Hyter and Garrett’s West Precinct family
• All police, military, and emergency response personnel from near and far who covered us in your support and presence

As part of our healing process, we want to ensure that Garrett’s legacy will endure through work we do together as a family. We will dedicate our collective energy to advocating against the repeated release of violent offenders onto the streets. It’s a serious nationwide problem and one which we know directly contributed to Garrett’s untimely death.

Garrett’s killer had been arrested just last year for a shooting involving two victims in Huntsville and yet he was freed on an outrageously low bond. Lenient sentences and low bonds are a terrible dereliction of duty by our court system – an unnecessary endangerment to law enforcement and innocent communities. Garrett would still be here with us if the perpetrator had been punished properly the first time. The system failed him.

To honor Garrett, we pledge to be a voice wherever possible to protect our blue family across the nation from going through what we have had to endure.

We ask for continued prayers for Officer Albert Morin and family as he recovers both in body and mind. We also ask for prayers for the female victim and children Garrett helped to protect that day. Please also pray for Garrett’s squad as they grieve the loss of a brother in blue.

To everyone who stood in solidarity as we passed by, the hundreds of people who came to the visitation, the stadiums, arenas, and his beloved Saturn V rocket that were all bathed in blue tribute lights, the billboards, those who set up memorials on bridges, everyone who shared stories of your time with Garrett, created signs, waved flags, and saluted him from your cars as the procession passed – thank you. We saw you, we heard you, and we appreciate you. Thank you for backing the blue and sharing in our grief as we laid our beloved “Batman” to rest.

God bless,

Janet Sherman, William Crumby, Casey Crumby Wright, Courtney Crumby, and Jennifer Crumby

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Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby Funeral