Former Chief Deputy Curtis Knight died Monday in Tupelo

MONROEY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Monroe County loses a longtime lawman.

Former Chief Deputy Curtis Knight died on Monday in a Tupelo hospital.

Knight served many roles in the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, including nearly a decade as Chief Deputy.

Knight was highly respected in Monroe County.

He was an investigator in the Sheriff’s Department when he challenged then-Sheriff Andy Hood in the 2011 election. Knight lost in the primary, and Hood lost in a run-off.

The winner in that race, Cecil Cantrell, promoted Knight to Chief Deputy when he took office in 2012.

Knight would serve as Interim Sheriff when Cantrell resigned after losing the Democratic Primary in 2019.

He helped Cantrell’s successor, current Sheriff Kevin Crook transition into the job. He then returned to his role as Chief Deputy.

Knight retired from the Sheriff’s Department due to state retirement policies but had recently returned to the force.

Final arrangements have not been announced.