WE'RE ABOUT GIVING BACK

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The Founder & CEO of Blue Line Solutions & Blue Line Innovations, Mark Hutchinson spent 16 years in law enforcement.  During part of his career, he served as a Deputy, Sergeant, & Chief Deputy for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department in East TN.  On December 11, 1991, Officer Terry Greg was assaulted by an escaped inmate, and in a struggle had his collar bone broken, and lost his sidearm to the inmate.  Fellow Officer Allen Lipford had no knowledge of this struggle as he pulled up to the jail in his patrol car.  He was shot and killed by the escaped inmate in front of the jail, and the murderer took his weapon and magazines from his duty belt and sped away in Allen’s patrol car.  When the murderer wrecked the patrol car, Mark was the first one to the scene, and began the search.  Over 200 officers from TN, VA, NC, TBI, & FBI and North East Correctional Center were involved in the manhunt for the murderer. After a 36-hour hunt in which Mark took part, the murderer was brought in without incident. 

At the age of 22, this event forever changed Mark’s life.  Shortly after Allen’s death, he wrote a song for Allen’s mother called “They Will Be Remembered” in Allen’s honor.  The University of TN partnered with Mark to produce a police memorial video, which was used nationally in training, police memorial events, and funerals. Upon viewing the video, the National Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation invited Mark to perform the song in 1995 at the Candlelight Vigil during Police Memorial Week in Washington DC. Realizing the impact the song had made, Mark wrote another called the “Thin Blue Line”, and again, the University of TN produced a police memorial video to accompany the song.  The following year, he was again invited to the Candlelight Vigil in Washington DC to perform the song at the candlelight vigil ceremony.  He then took part in performing three of his songs at the dedication of the Law Enforcement Memorial at the State Capital in Nashville, TN  A few years later, he was invited to perform a song called “Unforgotten Heroes of the Badge” at the FOP Ceremony on the west lawn of the U.S. Capital during the National Police Memorial Ceremony.  As a Police Officer, Mark continued to write songs in honor of fallen officers and share the music with police agencies and families throughout the country.

In 2010, Mark departed from Law Enforcement and started a company. While searching for a name for the business, he wanted to find a way to honor fallen officers by the very existence of the company.  After many lengthy discussions with law enforcement officers, he chose the name Blue Line Solutions.  Since then, the company has been involved in supporting numerous police memorial functions throughout the nation. From donating police memorial monuments to be placed in front of city halls, supporting the Unity Tour Ride during Police Memorial Week, sponsoring memorial banquets, and an annual event in Allen’s honor, the company strives to give back and to bring focus to fallen officers at every chance. 

In 2018, Allen’s daughter, Chayenne, fellow Sheriff’s Department members of the time, and Mark attended the first parole hearing of Allen’s murderer.  Speaking at the hearing was important, as this man destroyed so many lives, he deserves to live behind bars for the remainder of his life.  As a result of the hearing, he was denied parole.

In continuation of these endeavors, in 2019 Mark was invited to perform a song at the opening ceremony for Concerned of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) during Police Memorial Week in Washington, DC. This time he performed a song called “They Gave It All”.

No matter what the future brings to the companies Mark owns, his first focus will always be to bring honor to those who have given their lives in the line of duty. May his life, and the legacy of his companies forever shine a light on the ultimate sacrifice of those that paid with their life.