Clemmons

Clemmons

The late Sheriff James Clemmons, who passed away suddenly on Aug. 5, 2021 at the age of 60, would’ve turned 61 on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. He is greatly missed by the community he served and the colleagues who served alongside him.

Clemmons was first hired as a patrol deputy for the Sheriff’s Office in 1989, and was then promoted from Lieutenant to Captain, and then to Major before being elected as Sheriff in 2011 — the first African-American to hold the position. Clemmons served as president of the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association from ‘18-‘19, chaired the Executive Committee from ‘19-‘20, and was a vice president of the association from ‘14-‘18.

This spring, the bridge south of Rockingham along U.S. 1 that crosses the U.S. 74 bypass near the Citgo and Hardee’s will be renamed the “Sheriff James E. Clemmons, Jr. Bridge” in his honor.