Capt. Stacey Heatherly, the leader of Tennessee Highway Patrol’s (THP) District 1, makes it very clear how much she values Lt. Daniel Ruskey. “He plays a crucial and highly valued role in our Knoxville team. His dedication and knowledge are indispensable.”

Lt. Daniel Ruskey

Ruskey, reared near Maryville, is a 30-year THP veteran. If he hasn’t done it all, he’s mighty close to having done it all.

He leads the 12-man Strike Team 1 quick response troopers. They have been and remain active at Hurricane Helene devastation locations. They worked the Gatlinburg fires, responded to assist agencies and communities hit by tornadoes and provided security at the 2020 protests at the state capitol in Nashville, to name a few.

  • He is the Dist. 1 liaison for the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security.
  • Each of the eight THP districts statewide has an officer called the “Wrecker Lieutenant.” Ruskey regulates the 38 wrecker businesses the THP uses throughout its 10-county East Tennessee district.
  • Ruskey is a certified Drug Recognition expert and a certified DUI instructor and a Radar instructor.

“Sometimes Daniel forgets the important role he holds in the department, so I remind him frequently,” Heatherly said. “Really.”

Ruskey, 53, joined the THP when he was only 24 after graduating from the University of Tennessee in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice. He also completed the Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command School. He is a 1989 graduate of Heritage High School.

It doesn’t take long to understand that this trooper’s life is and has been God-centered. He’s not shy about that whatsoever. “God has had his hands on my life forever. I went to UT wanting to be an architect, but when I spent time with my academic counselor she said my work, in her opinion, strongly suggested I consider working in law enforcement,” he says. “She connected the dots when I couldn’t and she was right and here I am. That was the God thing working.”

After two years at the Blount County Sheriff’s Office as an auxiliary officer and 16 months at the Maryville Police Dept., he applied to the THP and was hired in 1995. He then worked for 11 years as the THP trooper and sergeant for Loudon County. In 2006 he moved to the Chattanooga district where he worked for 14 years until moving back to the Knoxville district in July 2020.

Strike Team 1 is special for him. Sgt. Taylor Ogle is his second in command. On Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, they headed to Unicoi and Cocke counties, working an array of assignments to help with the Hurricane Helene disaster and the people and businesses whose lives changed that day. “This team is a unique entity. We have a great team of troopers. Working this disaster has been very taxing. It has been an emotional time for all of us. Long hours. Stressful. But it’s what we do. Who we are.”

The team had multiple assignments – search and rescue/recovery, traffic control, assisting local law enforcement agencies, providing security for rescue teams, assisting in removing debris fields and piles, and handling physical security at the various distribution centers to prevent theft or looting.

And one job was for him very special. Ruskey said his team escorted a convoy of trucks to Cocke County – 18-wheelers filled with hay, many flatbed trailers, hauling barbed wire fencing and posts, feed for horses and farm animals, and even tractors and other farm equipment. The convoy was made up of farmers from Ohio, New York and Michigan. “When they finished unloading, they were heading home and said they’d be back,” he said.

“The people in Newport were so glad and happy to see these people. They were crying and so grateful,” Ruskey shared. “The response to help one another has been overwhelming from what I saw. We live in God’s country – neighbors helping neighbors from anywhere. Don’t tell me America’s not a great country.”

That brings Ruskey’s captain back into the conversation. “He is truly an asset I will always be grateful for, to have his expertise in the laws and policies to assist my position as captain,” Heatherly said. “With the floods of Helene, Lt. Ruskey led his team and responded without fail and committed deeply into the search and rescue part of the mission. They worked countless hours to make sure that people were evacuated, fed, located and performed many other selfless acts.”

And now we switch gears to his wrecker lieutenant work. This job is not to be dismissed as just busy work, although it keeps him plenty busy. He annually visits the 38 towing firms to inspect their operations, vehicles, equipment and records. Are they reliable and reputable? Will they serve the public properly when needed?

He verifies their billings and rates to avoid someone being overcharged. He checks the tow truck drivers’ criminal histories. Convicted felons can drive but not with more than three felony convictions. He follows up on complaints from the public and from fellow troopers about the companies.

There’s one more team in this story – Team Ruskey. Its members are wife Christy, married for 20 years; stepdaughter Lacey, a middle school nurse who calls him “Dad;” her husband, Brandon, who works for LCUB, and their two children Tinley, 11, and Zeke, 8. “I am blessed beyond belief. God has his hands in this too.”

The Ruskeys live in Lenoir City and call the Maranatha Church of the Harvest their church. Its longtime pastor is Dr. Tommy Patterson, his father-in-law. He “hired” Ruskey as the church’s security officer.

Ruskey hunts and fishes and there’s a vintage 1949 Chevrolet pickup truck in his garage that he tinkers with from time to time.

Here’s why Ruskey loves Ruskey’s life, job and career. “Initially, it was the excitement of a law enforcement job I loved. Make a difference out there. Every day is different. Write a DUI ticket for a guy going 100 and wonder how many lives you just saved,” Ruskey explained. “The most rewarding part is to be able to help people when we’re really needed. Helping people. The Lord has given me the abilities to share what I’ve learned.”

Tom King has been the editor of newspapers in Texas and California and also worked in Tennessee and Georgia. If you have someone you think we should consider featuring, please email him at the link with his name or text him at 865-659-3562.