Nash County deputy celebrates his career years after being shot on the job
A small crowd of roughly 20 people gathered inside the Old Superior Court Room at the Nash County Courthouse Friday.
They applauded as Nash County deputy William Toney accepted multiple awards for his service to the community, including a Nash County Purple Heart and Law Enforcement Blue Heart Award. Toney was shot multiple times on Interstate 95 on Feb. 4, 2021. He survived but suffered career-ending injuries.
“It’s been a difficult road,” he told WRAL.
He said he always had dreams of being a law enforcement officer, and he especially wanted to work with a K9, given his love for animals.
“That was my dream,” Toney said.
He achieved that dream. However, his career was cut short. Toney was helping his partner Deputy Shelby Smith with a traffic stop on I-95 when he was shot multiple times. Jarred Ford confessed to the shooting in a federal trial. His state trial ended with a hung jury.
“His life will never be the same for what he gave Nash County,” Sheriff Keith Stone said at the podium. “The lord’s angels were with you when you worked that day.”
Toney believes that too, so much so that he is now taking up a career in ministry.
“[God] was really there with me,” he told WRAL.
He said he has to take a few more classes in order to officially be a preacher. While he transitions to this new career path, he’ll keep badges and even his service gun as a reminder of the dreams he achieved.
“It’s bittersweet today, knowing that I can’t go back to doing what my heart loved so much,” Toney said.
He, and his law enforcement family, also took the opportunity to highlight the increasing dangers for law enforcement officers in the line of duty.
“So many officers are losing their lives now,” Toney noted.
During the ceremony, Sheriff Stone recognized a woman who has ties to the tragedy in Charlotte, where eight officers were shot. Four of them died.
“That is a family member of the only Marshal that came out unscathed,” he said, after asking Renee Hutchinson to stand.
He thanked her for attendance while the crowd clapped. She told WRAL it hit home to see Toney retire after his injuries.
“We really need our officers and U.S. Marshals. It’s scary the way the world has gotten to be,” she said.
Stone said the dangers affect recruitment for agencies, so there needs to be better pay and investment in order to find the qualified professionals, like Toney.
Toney echoed the change in the industry over the years. He said not all officers are bad. He’s thankful that he was able to live out his dreams, despite them being cut short.
