I never met Lowndes County Sheriff Big John Williams. I never heard of him until this past Sunday morning when I learned he was shot to death outside a convenience store in Hayneville, Ala. I didn't know Big John, as he was called, but my heart dropped because I've known many law enforcement officers over the years that reminded me of Big John as I began to read stories and reach out to our current Sheriff Heath Jackson and former Sheriff Grover Smith.
Both knew Big John. Both had become friends like other people in the same profession become friends. Whether you run a newspaper or sheriff'...