"I had a relative who was on the Richmond Police Department and I always looked up to him and admired him," Clemens said of his decision to become a police officer. "Ever since I was a small child, that's what I dreamed to be."

New Castle Police Chief Brad Catron worked with Clemens for 26 years.

"He's one of those guys who will be hard to replace," Catron said. "He was well-known through the community and knew just about everybody. People trusted him. He was a people person and went out of his way to help them."

Clemens said the decision to retire didn't come easy but was medically necessary following an on-the-job accident in 2013. At the time, Clemens and a member of the Henry County Sheriff's Department crashed their cars during a three-county, high-speed chase near the intersection of U.S. Hwy 40 and County Road 500 East, according to Courier-Times archives. Clemens underwent surgery after breaking several bones in his leg, along with a bone in his foot.

Since the accident, Clemens has had 11 surgeries and has 28 screws, six steel plates and three rods in his leg, foot and ankle.

"It's been very difficulty to know that I have to walk away in this fashion," he said. "I will miss chasing people down. Knowing that I injured my leg has been really tough mentally. I'll probably never run again in my life."

Catron said Clemens was known for his chasing skills.

"You could call him and he'd be right there," Catron said. "He would chase people down. That was one of his favorite things to do. No one could out-run him."

During his time with the New Castle Police Department, Clemens served as the SWAT Team commander for 10 years and was instrumental in starting the department's involvement with the county SWAT Team. He also mentored several young officers.

In 2000, he won the Midwest Police/Fire Olympics in the bench-press competition. He was also named Henry County Officer of the Year twice.

One of his most memorable moments as a police officer was saving a woman from a house fire in the late 1990s. He said one of the most painful memories was being the first to respond to a house fire where three children died and their mother was later convicted of murder. He said the most dangerous thing he did was help capture someone who had just committed murder and was holed up in a house with a rifle. The man was apprehended without being shot and later went to prison, Clemens said.

As for his retirement plans, Clemens is going on a cruise to the Bahamas and wants to spend more time with family.

"I still love police work," he said. "I really like helping people versus the bad people you have to arrest. I get a lot of joy trying to help someone change their life."

According to Catron, the police department will start the hiring process to replace Clemens at a later date.