Search for Tenn. Deputy Underway after Car Pulled from River

Feb. 15, 2024
Meigs County Sheriff's Deputy Robert J. Leonard's cruiser was found in the Tennessee River, along with the body of a woman believed to be someone the deputy had taken into custody.

Authorities are searching for a missing Tennessee deputy after his cruiser was pulled from a river 

Meigs County Sheriff's Deputy Robert J. Leonard was reported missing Wednesday, and his cruiser was found in the Tennessee River near the Hamilton County line, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. The body of a woman was in the patrol's back seat, and she's believed to be someone Leonard had arrested before going missing.

Leonard's cellphone had been pinging near his submerged cruiser, but no one else was found in the vehicle. The car was discovered upside down near a boat ramp, and its windows were open.

"It's plain to see that he (Leonard) made it out of the car," said Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett at Thursday news conference.

"We still don't think the outcome's going to be good for Deputy Leonard," added Ninth District Attorney Russell Johnson.

It's believed that Leonard had been taking a woman into custody and transporting her to the Meigs County Jail when he lost contact with his wife Wednesday night. He texted "arrest" to her shortly after 10 p.m., but he didn't send a return text to his wife's response.

Leonard also had contacted dispatchers at the same time, and it was difficult to hear him over the radio. According to dispatchers, it sounded like Leonard said "water" during his call.

"We're operating under the theory that it was an accident, he missed his turn, he wasn't familiar, he was doing other things that may have caused him to go in the water," said Johnson. "There's skid marks and some scratch marks too, so there's some indication he was on the brakes at least trying to stop."

Leonard had only been with the agency for roughly two months. He had moved to the area from New York and has a wife and three children.

"It can be a very dangerous spot for folks that aren't local," said Meigs County General Sessions Judge Casey Stokes on Thursday.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.

Sponsored Recommendations

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Officer, create an account today!