Man Shot by Officers of Sheriff's Department After He Draws a Weapon on Them

A man is in Vanderbilt hospital this morning being treated for gunshot wounds after he drew a weapon and was shot by officers of the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department late Wednesday night.

Sheriff Patrick Ray has not released the name of the suspect in the case nor the severity of his condition.

Sheriff Ray told WJLE that the incident occurred around midnight as the officers were responding to a complaint of yelling and gunshots being fired in the area of Adcock Cemetery Road/Petty Road. " At 11:53 p.m. dispatch got a call of multiple gunshots and yelling in the area of Adcock Cemetery Road, "said Sheriff Ray. " A deputy and detective responded to the call. The detective spoke with the complainant and a member of the suspect's family. The complainant reported hearing yelling and gunshots coming from the area of Petty Road," he said.

The detective was informed by the family member of the suspect (gunman) that he (suspect) had told someone that if law enforcement officers pulled up in his driveway, he would shoot them," said Sheriff Ray.

"The deputy and detective drove to Petty Road and stopped near the suspect's house. As they got out of their vehicles and prepared to walk up the road toward his home, the man came out from behind some trees in a neighbor's yard," said Sheriff Ray. The man drew a gun on the officers. The deputy and detective then drew their weapons and fired multiple shots. The suspect was wounded in the shooting and transported by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital. He was later taken by ground ambulance to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville. The officers involved in the shooting were not hurt. Sheriff Ray has not released their names.

The case is under investigation by the Sheriff's Department, TBI, and the District Attorney Generals Office.

Smithville Police Department to Conduct Sobriety Checkpoints

The Smithville Police Department will be conducting sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrol on Friday, May 24 thru Monday, May 27, 2013 in an ongoing effort to provide safer roadways for the public. Sobriety checkpoints will be conducted Monday in the area of S. Congress and Short Mountain Hwy. Saturation patrol will be conducted throughout the weekend. The Smithville Police Department will continue to work with the Governors Highway Safety Office in an effort to keep our roadways safe.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Office (GHSO) is Tennessee’s advocate for highway safety. This office works with law enforcement, judicial personnel and community advocates to coordinate activities and initiatives relating to the human behavioral aspects of highway safety.

The GHSO’s mission is to develop, execute and evaluate programs to reduce the number of fatalities, injuries and related economic losses resulting from traffic crashes on Tennessee’s roadways. The office works in tandem with the National Highway Safety Administration to implement programs focusing on occupant protection, impaired driving, speed enforcement, truck and school bus safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety and crash data collection and analysis. Programs administered by the Governor’s Highway Safety Office are 100% federally funded.