By KRISSI HUMBARD — The city announced the passing of beloved Hyattsville City Police Department Sgt. Anthony “Tony” Knox on July 17. Knox had been battling cancer since 2016.
Knox joined the HCPD on Jan. 25, 2006. Prior to his service with HCPD, he served with the Town of Edmonston Police Department, the Department of Defense Police, and the United States Army.
“Today, the City of Hyattsville Police Department lost a true hero,” said HCPD Interim Chief Amal Awad. “Sgt. Knox taught us all what moving through adversity with dignity and strength truly means. He never wavered; he never quit. He came to work with an exceptional level of commitment and passion every day.”
As Knox ascended the rank structure, he consistently displayed dynamic leadership earning the following highly coveted departmental awards: Silver Medal of Valor, Bronze Medal of Valor, Police Officer of the Year, Lifesaving Award, Leadership Award, and several other commendations, according to the city’s press release.
Knox served as the K-9 Supervisor at HCPD. According to the press release, Knox adored his K-9 partner, Ori, who he met in April of 2012. The two graduated from the Prince George’s County Police Department’s K-9 School on Nov. 15, 2013. Together, they then built one of the Washington Metropolitan Area’s leading K-9 units.
Knox also served as the police department’s Lead Firearms Instructor, Taser Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor, and the Emergency Response Team’s Point Man.
“Sgt. Knox exuded leadership, was highly revered, and deeply loved by his family, friends, and the men and women of the City of Hyattsville Police Department,” Awad said. “Every officer who worked with Sgt. Knox on Squad 2 and in our K-9 Unit has conveyed how he consistently led by example and expected nothing less than excellence from his squad members.
“He has left an incredible legacy with the City of Hyattsville Police Department and our entire community.”
Knox passed away on July 17. He was 42 years old. Knox is survived by the love of his life, Meredith; his four children, Kellen, Logan, Ethan, and Taylor; his parents, Lawrence and Carol Knox; his sister, Shawn Ashcraft; and his brothers and sisters in blue. He was preceded in death by his K-9 partner, Ori, in August 2017.
Hyattsville Mayor Candace Hollingsworth remembered Sgt. Knox in a post on social media: “I met then-Cpl. Knox on my very first ride-along. Although he wasn’t the officer hosting me, he happily showed me how well he and Ori, his K-9 partner, worked together. He threw different objects out into the fields of Magruder Park illuminated only by moonlight and each time Ori brought them back to him. I can’t recall if it was the same evening or on my second ride-along that I watched on as Knox responded to a call for service at the student apartments at UTC. He was confident yet compassionate and these two early encounters with Knox were just a glimpse of his good nature and the way he cared for the city and her residents through his service with the Hyattsville Police Department. He will be missed by many and certainly missed by me.”
The police department asks that residents please keep the Knox family in their thoughts and prayers. Condolences may be sent to the Knox family by way of the City of Hyattsville Police Department.
“We thank Sgt. Knox for his leadership, friendship, and service to our community and country,” Awad said. “We are devastated by his loss and will miss him dearly. We are grateful that the Knox family shared Tony with us for so many years, and we appreciate everyone who assisted the Knox family throughout this journey as Tony valiantly fought cancer.”
The press release ended by saying, “his presence will forever remain with the City of Hyattsville Police Department, and all whose lives he touched.”
Residents can still donate to the GoFundMe campaign set up by the City of Hyattsville Police Department when Sgt. Tony Knox was diagnosed with cancer.
