INSIDER
Putnam County mourns loss of first Black deputy constable
Read full article: Putnam County mourns loss of first Black deputy constableThe Putnam County Sheriffโs Office is mourning the loss of the agencyโs first Black deputy constable and a Welaka councilman, who passed away Wednesday. โWe are saddened to announce the passing of Welaka Town Councilman Willie Washington last night,โ the Sheriffโs Office said in a Facebook post on Thursday. Washington, a Putnam County native, broke barriers with his election in the late 1960s to the Welaka Town Council, though segregation laws kept him from being sworn in at town hall. He became the countyโs first Black deputy, rising to the rank of corporal, before going on to become the Welaka police chief in 1996, a role he held for four years. In a prepared statement, sitting Putnam County Sheriff Homer โGatorโ DeLoach described Washington as a โconsummate gentleman,โ whose loss will be felt by the entire Putnam County community.