Nacogdoches County deputy fondly remembered after fatal accident

NACOGDOCHES, TX (KTRE) - The flags were lowered to half-staff at each law enforcement agency in respect of Deputy Brad Jimmerson.

It set the tone for the kind of interview a sheriff hates to provide.

“Well, right now, I think we are just kinda in a state of shock,” said Nacogdoches County Sheriff Jason Bridges after an emotional sigh. “We realize what happened. Obviously, we’re grieving.”

Upon word of the early morning accident, a dispatcher said it was eerie when she arrived to work. No one was in the department. That’s because every person wearing a badge was at the scene.

It was something so simple, picking up a road hazard, a bumper, the sheriff was told. The gesture was to protect motorists, but it ultimately ended the life of a veteran deputy.

“Well, you know, he’s carrying out normal duties of what a deputy or police officer or a highway patrol trooper does every day,” Bridges said. “And, you know, you just never know. And that’s what happened today. It just shows the dangers of our profession and what we encounter. Routine things are just not such routine.”

Jimmerson often worked security for extra pay after a full day of duty. Next week, he was set to work at the Pineywoods Fair for Exposition Director Anita Scott.

“Yes, he will be missed at the county fair. Yeah,” Scott said quietly.

No matter the job, the 49 year old deputy was someone everyone liked. They didn't call him by his given name. BooBoo was the fondly used nickname.

The affectionate name fit Jimmerson's personality.

That's the memory those who knew him will hold onto.

“If you knew him, you couldn’t help but like him,” Bridges said with a smile. “Even if he arrested you. People he arrested liked Brad by the time they got into jail. So he was just a great guy.”

Funeral arrangements are pending for Jimmerson at Laird Funeral Home.

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