“I DIDN’T CHOOSE this career. Honestly, it chose me,” said Detective Lt. John Sweeney with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office. “I never thought in a million years I would ever become an officer, but this is my biggest personal accomplishment. Giving back to the community that has so graciously given to me is very rewarding. I knew most of my life that I wanted to make a difference. I just never knew what that would look like.”
Although Sweeney’s family is originally from Bedford County, Tyson Foods moved his parents to Hope, Arkansas, before he was born. They returned “home” after he turned 5.
“My grandparents laid roots here long before I was born. I can’t think of a better place to be! This is where I attended school [and] work, and we are raising our family. To say the least, this is where my heart is. My favorite part of our community is how we stick together.”
During his childhood, money and food were often scarce.
“It’s easy to get trapped in a mindset of ‘this is how your life is destined to be.’ Breaking that way of thinking was key to my success. Of course, this wasn’t done on my own. I had huge support from my family, especially my wife, Ann, and our community of big-hearted people who helped me along the way.”
An unlikely friendship between himself and a man he now remembers as his personal “hero” nurtured his desire to invest in others that he now encounters.
“There have been many heroes in my life, but if I narrowed it down, it would be the late Ray Lyons. He was a man who took me under his wing at a very young age. To this day, I remain baffled as to why he did that, other than just being a great man in general. Ray provided me with guidance on work ethic and personality.
“He always treated everyone the same, no matter what ethnic background you were, whether you were rich or poor. He greeted you with a smile and would laugh and cut up with you. Or he might just sit and listen. Ray inspired me more than he ever really knew. Much of my testimony in life reflects from the unconditional kindness and life lessons he showed me. He also taught me that life is short and laughter is the best medicine.”
Sweeney started out as a corrections officer for the sheriff’s office in 2011, and in 2013, he became a court/warrants officer before transferring to the patrol division the following year. Doors opened quickly for Sweeney, and he was promoted to the Criminal Investigations Division. In 2018, he earned the title of sergeant before becoming the lieutenant over the Criminal Investigations Division in 2021.
Over the years, he has graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy, the TBI State Academy, and SWAT school. He has also completed several intense courses to increase his awareness and knowledge of internet crimes against children, child abduction responses, instructor development, and drug-related death investigations.
“Being an officer has challenges like most careers. Not every case we deal with has a happy ending, and those cases weigh heavily on an officer. The child you saved, the justice you got for the victim who is no longer with us, the life you see turned around from addiction, the mother or father, or sometimes children you rescue from an abusive relationship … these are what make[s] this career so rewarding. Although we never want to see our community face challenges, it is comforting to know we have such dedicated officers willing to respond when these come up. For me personally, being the voice for a victim is the most rewarding part of my day. It is what drives me in this career.”
Just as Ray Lyons forever changed the trajectory of his life, Sweeney intends to do the same for others within our community.
“I often look in the mirror at myself and wonder if what I’m personally doing is making a difference. I truly believe God has sent me down this path for a reason, and I’m excited to see who He crosses my path with. My future goal is to be the sheriff of Bedford County. I want to make a difference in our community, and I feel this is the road that God is leading me down. This is what He has prepared me for all of my life, and I intend to be obedient.” GN
