MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Thursday, when they learned of his death on-duty, friends and loved ones paid tribute to fallen Memphis Police Officer Corille Jones - who went by the first name of CJ, highlighting his kindness as a loving father of two daughters.
Before MPD, Officer Jones also worked with the Memphis Police Department.
"CJ was one of the cheerful, giving, loving people you could ever know in life," Antonio Pickens, a friend of Officer Jones said.
"He was good family man and if you were friends with CJ, he made sure you were good," Anthony Ashton, another friend of Officer Jones added.
Through a mix of shock and grief, longtime friends of Officer Corille 'CJ' Jones honored the MPD officer and father of two, killed in the line of duty in his patrol car Thursday morning.
"He left behind a legacy, even though he was just 32 years old, he left a legacy," Ashton said, who met Officer Jones 12 years ago at the Houston Levee Community Center playing basketball.
"CJ had a lot of energy. He was very motivated when he came to the gym on Sundays, gym here behind me. He always came in with a smile, never complained about anything," Ashton said.
Officer Jones' kind spirit, and love of sports and of service came together in a Facebook video post from April 2021, where he's seen in his MPD uniform shooting hoops and breaking barriers between police and the citizens they serve.
"Once he got his career and everything, you could just tell like, he was so in love with what he was doing," Pickens said.
Ashton and Pickens aren't alone in their praise of Officer Jones.
Other friends posted online, thanking him for 'the best advice to help me in my career' and that 'words will never show the magnitude of the love this city had for you.'
"I'm praying for the family, CJ's family, all of the basketball community that played with him, we are going to just hug for each other and play for each other," Ashton said.
"We are saddened tonight as we grieve the loss of Officer Corille Jones, killed in a tragic accident today," Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn 'C.J.' Davis said. "We pray for the family of the driver of the other vehicle involved, a member of our community who also lost his life."
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is leading the investigation and we are awaiting additional details on what caused Thursday's deadly crash on Shelby Drive. The identify of the other driver has not yet been released.
If you are interested in donating to a fund set up for Officer Jones by the Memphis Police Association Charitable Foundation, you can do so HERE.