Current:Home > NewsTennessee sheriff increases reward to $100,000 as manhunt for suspect in deputy's fatal shooting widens-InfoLens
Tennessee sheriff increases reward to $100,000 as manhunt for suspect in deputy's fatal shooting widens
View Date:2024-12-23 11:19:35
More than $100,000 in reward money has been pledged for information leading to the arrest of 42-year-old Kenneth DeHart, Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong said, as law enforcement in eastern Tennessee continued their search Saturday for a man who is accused of fatally shooting one sheriff's deputy and injuring another during a traffic stop.
On Saturday, the Blount County Sheriff's office warned residents living in the Wildwood area, that "there will be a large law enforcement presence" early in the afternoon "due to a non-tactical ground search that will take place."
Earlier in the day the sheriff's office posted $80,000 in reward money, but as their search wore on law enforcement increased the amount saying, "there were over 150 personnel" searching wooden dense areas for the suspect. The sheriff said teams will continue to "work tirelessly" until they get DeHart into custody and "we're not going to stop."
Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong said warrants have been issued for Kenneth Dehart for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and felon in possession of a firearm in a Facebook post.
Deputy Greg McCowan, 43, was killed in the shooting, while Deputy Shelby Eggers, 22, was treated at a hospital and released, the sheriff's office said Friday.
"We're committed to track him down," Berrong said Friday. "We're going to get him and he's going to be brought to justice in Blount County."
The bureau said in a Friday news release that deputies had initiated a traffic stop on a sport utility vehicle. The car had been stopped on suspicion of erratic driving, said Ryan Desmond, the district attorney general for Blount County.
The driver, identified by authorities as DeHart, refused to get out of the SUV, and a deployed stun gun had no effect, the bureau said. The driver produced a gun and fired shots, striking both deputies. Then, at least one deputy returned fire, and DeHart drove from the scene, the bureau news release said. McCowan later died at a hospital, according to authorities.
Desmond said Friday that DeHart's brother had been arrested and charged with being an accessory for aiding the suspect after the homicide. The brother was jailed and Desmond said he faced a Monday court appearance. A woman identified by media outlets as the shooting suspect's girlfriend also was arrested on an accessory charge Thursday night in adjoining Sevier County, where records show she was also jailed Saturday.
A procession of law enforcement vehicles joined a hearse containing McCowan's body that traveled on Friday through Maryville, which is about 17 miles (27 kilometers) south of Knoxville.
McCowan began his career as a deputy in 2020 after graduating from a regional law enforcement training class, Berrong said Friday.
- In:
- Shooting
- Tennessee
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Kendall Jenner Is Back to Being a Brunette After Ditching Blonde Hair
- Rihanna and A$AP Rocky debut newborn son Riot Rose in new photoshoot
- Deion Sanders condemns death threats against player whose late hit left Hunter with lacerated liver
- Untangling the Deaths of Models Nichole Coats and Maleesa Mooney
- Multi-State Offshore Wind Pact Weakened After Connecticut Sits Out First Selection
- Kraft recalling American cheese slices due to possible choking hazard
- Danny Masterson’s Wife Bijou Phillips Files for Divorce
- Women who say they were abused by a onetime Jesuit artist denounce an apparent rehabilitation effort
- Republican Gabe Evans ousts Democratic US Rep. Yadira Caraveo in Colorado
- Four former Iowa Hawkeyes athletes plead guilty to reduced underage gambling charge
Ranking
- Bo the police K-9, who located child taken at knifepoint, wins Hero Dog Awards 2024
- Untangling the Deaths of Models Nichole Coats and Maleesa Mooney
- Am I allowed to write a letter of recommendation for a co-worker? Ask HR
- Untangling the Deaths of Models Nichole Coats and Maleesa Mooney
- The NBA Cup is here. We ranked the best group stage games each night
- Hunter Biden expected to plead not guilty on felony gun charges
- 'Dumb Money' review: You won't find a more crowd-pleasing movie about rising stock prices
- Fentanyl found under sleeping mats at Bronx day care where 1-year-old child died
Recommendation
-
Anti-abortion advocates press Trump for more restrictions as abortion pill sales spike
-
Man suspected of murdering 22 people killed by cellmate in prison: Officials
-
In Chile, justice eludes victims of Catholic clergy sex abuse years after the crisis exploded
-
A federal agency wants to give safety tips to young adults. So it's dropping an album
-
Horoscopes Today, November 11, 2024
-
'Heartbroken': Dartmouth football coach Buddy Teevens dies at 66 from bike accident injuries
-
The Book Report: Washington Post critic Ron Charles (September 17)
-
Prisoner accused of murdering 22 elderly women in Texas killed by cellmate