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BLOUNTVILLE, Tennessee — A Sullivan County MP is in serious condition and a suspect is dead after a shootout with law enforcement on Saturday.
Sheriff Jeff Cassidy said MPs had arrived for a welfare check at Jackie Pendergrass's house, near 11 am and TN-394 on Saturday morning, when Pendergrass had fired at least one shot. Pendergrass shot again after members tried to contact him.
MP Steve Hinkle, a veteran of the 27-year-old Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, was shot dead at some point during the exchange.
"There were several officers," Cassidy said at a press conference. "They were sort of stuck at one point, but fortunately we managed to get Agent Hinkle out of all danger, which requires a lot of effort when someone actively pulls on."
Pendergrass, 44, was later found dead inside the house. It is unclear whether he was killed during the exchange of fire with the forces of the order or died as a result of a self-inflicted injury.
Pendergrass was relatively unknown to the forces of order and was alone inside the house at the time of the shooting.
"No criminal background." The volume of calls to this house was three.We had some burglaries in 2011 and a disruption in 2013. It was not well known to the criminal justice system He was not very officers, and all that led to that, of course, is the subject of further investigation, "Cassidy said.
The forces of order have reacted massively, local organizations in the region have come together to help one of their own.
"Everyone who works in the field of law enforcement knows the fellowship, the fellowship," said Cassidy. "There is love for all the officers working there, we are not only reacting to such violent confrontations, we are reacting as quickly as possible to protect our officers, as you can see. difficult cross. "
Since the case included a shooting involving an officer, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is now the lead agency.
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