From our January 4, 2001, edition.

Sheriff Thompson steps down after 20 years 

Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Donley County Sheriff Jimmy Thompson.

With the dawn of a new century and a new year comes the end of an era in Donley County and the start of a new one. Charles “Butch” Blackburn, Jr., officially became the Sheriff of Donley County on Monday, following in the footsteps of a man who has held that office for 20 years – William J. Thompson.

Jimmy Thompson was first elected in 1980 and took office in January 1981. He has weathered storms, made do with a small budget, foiled a plot to kill him, and come through with the respect of many citizens and fellow lawmen.

Among those who hold Thompson in high esteem is his successor.

“I don’t think there’s a better man in Donley County,” says Sheriff Blackburn. “He took me in as a kid and taught me the whole deal.”

Thompson had a varied career before taking the county’s top law enforcement position. He was born and raised in Donley County, quit high school in 1952, and joined the Marines in 1953. He served for four years, catching the tail end of the Korean conflict.

By the summer of 1960, Thompson was a deputy, working in Hedley. He joined the Amarillo Police Department in 1962 and stayed with the APD for 2 years before moving to Clayton, NM, to work on a ranch. He then variously farmed and cowboyed before coming home to Donley County to become a deputy under Sheriff Truett Berhens – a position he held for four years.

The Donley County Sheriff’s Department in 1981 was just a shadow of the department Sheriff Thompson built over two decades.

“When I took office we had only one deputy, no 24-hour services, no 24-hour dispatch.” Thompson said. “We have all that today.”

He also didn’t have a modern jail. What he had was a crumbling Bastille that had been built shortly after the turn of the century. In addition to housing some of the less savory characters of the county, the old jail also was the traditional home for the sheriff. Thompson lived there with his wife Aleta; his two sons, William and Walt; and Rusty – an Australian Shepherd cowdog. In fact, he moved in while still a deputy.

“There were a lot of exciting times in that jail,” Thompson said. “We lived it in until it was condemned by the state.”

It is Donley County’s new jail that Sheriff Thompson lists as one of his proudest accomplishments.

“This jail is one of the most easily operated jails in the state. It can be run by just one person under normal circumstances.”

Other accomplishments Thompson lists includes holding the line on expenses, catching a lot of “dopers” and a lot of burglars, and overseeing approximately 7,500 arrests in the last 20 years.

As with any job that deals with the public, there are always critics – people who aren’t going to be happy with the way you do the job.

“You can’t suit everybody,” Thompson said, “but I got elected five times. Some think they’re a little above the law, but I never saw that.”

One lady in particular was more displeased than others. In 1989, a woman tried to have Sheriff Thompson assassinated.

“She was mad at me,” he recalls. “She worked at the beer joint, and we were making a lot of DWI arrests.”

The woman let it be known that she would pay $5,000 to have Thompson “bumped off,” but a man tipped the sheriff off. Thompson contacted a member of the Drug Task Force and had him pose as a hit man. They got the woman on tape, and she got five years in the pen.

“I wasn’t very stirred up about it.”

Others have said stupid things, but no one else has tried to hire a hit man.

“I’ve been threatened – they were gonna shoot me or whip me. I never got too excited about ‘em. That’s just part of the job.”

He gives one example of a time when he received a domestic violence call. The man said he was going to shoot the sheriff if he came around, but Thompson went on the call anyway. As the man stuck his head out a window, Thompson put him in a headlock while a deputy went through the front door. The man did turn out to have a shotgun but never got the chance to use it.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn with former Sheriff Jimmy Thompson. Enterprise Digital Photos

On Saturday, December 30, a crowd of about 200 people gathered in the Bairfield Activity Center to bid Thompson a fond farewell. County Judge Jack Hall presented two plaques to Thompson – one for his service as sheriff and another for his countless hours spent watching storm clouds to protect the people from dangerous weather.

Incoming Sheriff Blackburn presented Aleta Thompson with a plaque also for her many, many volunteer hours working in the sheriff’s office and always being there to help. She also received a bouquet and her own set of brass knuckles.

Jim Cockerham presented the sheriff with a certificate signed by Gov. George W. Bush praising Thompson’s 20 years of service to the county and to Texas. And Thompson’s older son, William, presented his father with a framed Texas flag motif with the sheriff’s badge under glass in the place of the Lone Star.

Thompson said he appreciates the support of the local people.

“There are a lot of good people in this county,” he said. “I enjoyed the work, and I’ve been associated with a lot of good men.”

Thompson had words of praise for many of the people who had worked with him throughout his career. Among them were Game Warden Gary Hunt, DPS Sgt. Richard Gribble, Trooper Gary Davis, retired trooper Jerry Morris, Gary Henderson and Leo Hickman of the Texas Rangers, and his deputies.

Thompson singled out one former deputy as being invaluable – Charles Blackburn, Sr., the incoming sheriff’s father.

“I never had anybody that took an interest in watching the buildings and people in town as Charles did. He was dedicated and made my job a heck of a lot easier. If we had a break-in at night, he could tell you who was out. Butch will never hire a man as fine as Charles Blackburn.”

As Thompson leaves office, he says he’ll miss the job but is confident that the county is in good hands.

“I feel confident with this in Butch’s hands,” Thompson said. “He understands how to operate it and how to make a case.

“You’ll always miss things, but there comes a time when its time to leave things, and it’s my time to leave. I was 66 in October. When a man gets that old, he needs to sit around somewhere and whittle.”

The former sheriff doesn’t plan to whittle, though.

“I may work at a prison two days a week to keep from going crazy, and of course I may come around to aggravate Butch some.”

Whatever he decides to do, one thing is certain. After 20 years of service to the people of Donley County, Thompson has earned his rest.

What can you say about Jimmy Thompson?

“The thing that stands out in my mind is Jimmy’s love for kids.”

Clarendon Mayor Tex Selvidge

“This is one of the finest people I’ve ever met in my career. I have the utmost respect for him, and I’ve learned a lot from him.”

Texas Ranger 

Gary Henderson

“Jimmy Thompson was a damn good man. He was as good a peace officer as I ever worked with.”

District Judge

 David McCoy

“Jimmy reminds me of the old saying about the man who had done so much with so little for so long that he was now qualified to do anything with nothing. He will certainly be missed.”

Game Warden

 Gary Hunt

“Jimmy reminds you of John Wayne. He has that kind of ethics.”

Former deputy 

Joe Shadle

“Jimmy’s got more grit than any man I ever met.”

Sheriff

 Butch Blackburn