Maryville, Tennessee – It is with great sadness that Sheriff James Lee Berrong announces that retired Chief Deputy Don Boring passed away peacefully this evening surrounded by his loved ones. Chief Boring also known by many community members and law enforcement officers as “Auger Dust” was 92 years old.
“I am heartbroken with the news of Chief Boring’s passing,” Sheriff Berrong said. “He was always larger than life, and I have looked up to him since I was a young patrol officer at Maryville Police Department in the 1970s. He was a strong man with a commanding presence, and the officers and deputies who worked under him respected him and ultimately learned to love his strength of character and the way he looked out for them.”
Prior to his service to the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Chief Boring advanced through the ranks as an officer with Maryville Police Department until assuming the rank of Chief of Police. He retired as Chief in 1989 and then assumed the role of Chief Deputy under Sheriff Berrong.
Chief Boring served as the Chief Deputy of the Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Berrong when he was first appointed to the office in 1989. He retired from the Sheriff’s Office in 1999 and then returned in 2002 to serve as the interim Chief Deputy until 2004 when he retired for a second time. During his time at the BCSO, Chief Boring was instrumental in helping Sheriff Berrong guide the agency through growing pains as calls for service expanded with the county’s population growth. He was responsible for modernizing and implementing new technology at the Sheriff’s Office. Chief Boring set a high standard to which the agency still strives to meet, including being a CALEA accredited organization and having a computer and camera in all patrol cars.
Sheriff Berrong went on to say, “Everyone who worked under Chief Boring has a story to share about him. He was the kind of person who made an impression on everyone he met. I will never forget him, and I am blessed to have had the opportunity to work so closely with him. Please keep his family in your prayers as they mourn his passing.”
