Tennessee law enforcement personnel were able to arrest Kenneth Wayne DeHart Jr. who is suspected of being responsible for the killing of a Blount County deputy and injury of another.
Detectives successfully tracked the suspect's mobile phone during the manhunt, which eventually led them to a home on Linden Avenue in Knoxville's Park City neighborhood. When officers saw the suspect step outside, they quickly moved in using flash bangs, partially to freeze a dog that was seen at the house.
Tennessee Man Arrested Over Killing of Deputy
Law enforcement authorities said that DeHart surrendered with his hands up and he was taken into custody at around 3:20 p.m. Officers from the Blount County Sheriff's Office, Knox County Sheriff's Office, Knoxville Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Marshals Service were at the scene when DeHart was arrested.
The suspect was later booked in a Blount County jail at the same time that Deputy Greg McCowan's friends and family were mourning him a few miles away at Sevier Heights Baptist Church, as per Knox News.
The suspect was then moved to an undisclosed facility located outside of Blount County after he was booked so that he was in the custody of authorities who were not connected to the sheriff's office. In a statement, Sheriff James Berrong said that the suspect killed one of his deputies, adding that he did not want to be implicated in any potential issues.
DeHart was wanted on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and being a felon in possession of a weapon. Shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2024, McCowan and Deputy Shelby Eggers tried to stop the suspect's SUV on Sevierville Road in Maryville, where the suspect shot both deputies.
In the coming weeks, the Blount County District Attorney will be responsible for determining whether or not to pursue the death penalty, in consultation with McCowan's family. Berrong said following the suspect's arrest that he personally wants the death penalty.
A resident who lives near where DeHart was arrested, Roberta Martin, said that the first she heard was something that sounded like a bomb. She argued that she immediately thought it was a smoke bomb and added that she had no idea what was going on, according to WVLT.
The Arrest of Kenneth Wayne DeHart Jr.
She later saw a lot of police officers with their guns drawn and hiding behind their cars and was only able to find out what was happening at a later time when somebody said that the man inside the house had shot an officer.
Berrong said that he plans to release the body camera footage of the incident that resulted in McCowan's death. However, he noted that he wanted to give the affected families the chance to watch the footage first.
On the sheriff's office's Facebook page, Berrong said that with DeHart's arrest, the judicial process can take place in the court system. He also expressed his gratitude to their law enforcement partners and the community.
During a news conference, Berrong said that law enforcement personnel arrested DeHart and used handcuffs that belonged to McCowan. He said that the late deputy would be "appreciative of that," said CNN.
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