Sgt (retired) (Thomas) Paul Arnold passed away after a long battle with cancer on August 14, 2019.
He was born and raised in Chattanooga and graduated from UTC with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Paul 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 U.S. Marshals service in Miami, Special Agent in the USDA Office of Inspector General in Nashville, and the final 29 years of his law enforcement career with the City of Franklin Police.
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), Bill Pickett (Colleen), and Winston Pickett (Sun), and 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 Heith
