First Responder Hero Award: Detective Wallace Cunningham

DUNLAP, Tenn. (WDEF) – News 12 is recognizing some of the bravest members of our community through the First Responders Hero Award.

Whether someone is an EMT, paramedic, firefighter, or police officer, this award honors their unwavering dedication to keeping our community safe.

When danger strikes, these men and women are the first to respond.

Now, it is our turn to put them first.

In partnership with Wettermark Keith, News 12 is proud to spotlight these courageous individuals.

This month, the community has nominated Detective Wallace Cunningham with the Dunlap Police Department.

When Detective Wallace Cunningham learned he had been nominated, his reaction was immediate.

“Oh, man. Oh, this is awesome. I appreciate it.”

Cunningham says serving his hometown has always been personal.

“I’m Detective Wallace Cunningham with the Dunlap Police Department. Born and raised in Dunlap. I’ve lived here my whole life. My family’s lived here forever. My mom’s multi-generation here. We owned a gas station growing up here in town. It was called the Amico. I pretty much grew up in the garage working with my dad. That’s how I got to know all the people and everybody around town, and I just care about the community.”

He says law enforcement always felt like a calling.

“I’d always thought of law enforcement as a rewarding career. It’s an honorable job. You see it on TV, it looks pretty exciting too, pretty fun stuff. I put an application in with the Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Office, and luckily I got hired into the jail. I ended up working what’s called the road. I was a patrol deputy. Then I transferred from there over to the Dunlap Police Department, and I’ve been here ever since. I love it.”

His career has included moments of danger and sacrifice.

“There’s been a lot of impactful moments in my career. When I was just a rookie officer, I got shot in the line of duty. There was another time I got dragged down the road and got nine stitches in my head. Those were impactful, but some of the most important stuff I remember was helping my community.”

One mission stands out.

“I remember one time, about a year and a half ago, my chief called me, Randy Phillips, and said, ‘I need you to go with the fire department to East Tennessee to help with the search and rescue after Hurricane Helene hit.’ I didn’t hesitate. I said, ‘Let’s go.’ It went from a search and rescue to more of a recovery mission pretty fast. That really stuck with me.”

Through it all, Cunningham says trust is the foundation of the job.

“As a police officer, we’re here to help with big stuff and even small stuff. The police are here to serve and protect.

We care about everybody, and without the trust of the community, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”