(Below obituary courtesy Williamson Memorial)
Sergeant (retired) (Thomas) Paul Arnold passed away after a long battle with cancer on August 14, 2019.
Paul was born and raised in Chattanooga and graduated from UTC with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. He started his law enforcement career as an officer with the Chattanooga Police Department where he participated in the DUI Task Force. Later career positions included the U.S. Marshals Service in Miami and Special Agent in the USDA Office of Inspector General in Nashville.
The final 29 years of Paul Arnold’s law enforcement career was spent as a member of the City of Franklin Police Department. During his time in Franklin, Paul was a shift leader on patrol, member of the SWAT team, worked in the Criminal Investigations Division, served as a “Bobby” during the annual Dickens of a Christmas, CPA class instructor, and retired as the armorer and gunsmith for the Department.
Paul graduated from the Southeastern Command and Leadership Academy (SECLA) in 2006, where he was presented with the Leadership Award for his class. In 2017, Paul was honored to receive the national Theodore Roosevelt Police Award which is given to a few members of the law enforcement community each year for continued service to their communities while dealing with a severe injury or illness. He loved serving his neighbors and friends in the Franklin community. In his spare time, Paul enjoyed the outdoors, gunsmithing, family movie nights and hosting the annual Police Christmas Dinner for his fellow officers.
Paul is survived by his wife of 31 years, Dawn Arnold, mother Kathryn Arnold, cousins Phillip Pickett (Pam), Johanna Hartley (Jimmy), Deborah Pickett, Bill Pickett (Colleen), and Winston Pickett (Sun) all of Tennessee, and Judy Lieb (Ed) of California. Also surviving are many beloved second cousins and lifelong friends throughout the U.S.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Fraternal Order of Police Morris Heithcock Lodge, Law Enforcement Assistance Partnership (LEAP Franklin), or Stand Up to Cancer.