Authorities: Deputy wounds man who refused to drop gun

Published 8:07 am Friday, March 20, 2020

NEWBERN (AP) — A Tennessee deputy has shot and wounded a man who was armed with a shotgun and refused orders to drop the weapon, authorities said.

Dyer County Sheriff’s deputies responded Wednesday evening to a report of a man threatening another person with a gun, a statement from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said. When deputies arrived, Eric Blankenship, 43, was armed and refused to comply with commands, the statement said.

“At some point, for reasons still under investigation, the situation escalated resulting in at least one deputy firing, striking Blankenship,” the bureau said.

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

Blankenship was wounded and taken to a hospital for treatment. No deputies were injured.

The bureau was investigating and will turn over findings to District Attorney General Danny Goodman for review. No further details were immediately released.