GAINESVILLE – Nicholas Blane Dixon will always have a presence in the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
That after “Saving A Hero’s Place, Inc.” presented the Hall County Sheriff’s Office with an Honor Chair Thursday evening. Sadly, it is the 173rd Honor Chair crafted by the Richmond, Texas, non-profit, an organization started by Tommy and Robbie Capell in the spring of 2013, as a way to honor the memory of law enforcement officers who die in the line of duty.
The presentation of the Honor Chair on the lower level of the Sheriff’s Office culminated the end of a very long day, a day that saw Dixon’s killers each sentenced to life in prison; a day exactly two years after the fatal shooting of Dixon early in the morning of July 8, 2019.
Sheriff's Lieutenant Sean Bradburn spearheaded the effort to bring the hand-crafted cherry-wood chair to Hall County. “Back in March we took a trip out to Richmond, Texas, to build this Honor Chair. We were fortunate enough to be the first agency to come out to their shop…and actually build an Honor Chair for a fallen officer,” Bradburn said.
“It was a great honor for us…but also a very emotional time as well for us,” Bradburn continued.
Bradburn’s trip to the Texas wood shop included Officer Dixon’s father and two brothers. “It took us four days to build the chair,” the elder brother said.
Tommy Capell said to Dixon’s family, “It was an honor to have you guys in the shop. It was awesome having you guys there, to have a hand in (building) the chair. It adds a whole other meaning to the chair itself.”
Sheriff Couch he already had a place in mind for the chair to reside. “This chair will be placed in a place of honor here in our patrol briefing room. It’ll be there forever. We’re going to put flags on each side and also a photograph of Blane above it…so every officer that comes through there will remember him and remember his sacrifice and his dedication to this county and this community.”
Other members of Dixon’s family attended the presentation, including his widow, Stephanie, and her two sons, Caden and Colt Justice. Colt was just four months old when his father was killed.
Dixon’s father, Freddie, told the sixty law enforcement crowded into the room, “Thank you for being around my boy. Thank you for your support. It’s been a tough two years, and I’m hoping now we get to catch our breath.”
