TBI Agents investigating officer-involved shooting in Washington County

Published 11:57 am Tuesday, May 26, 2020

At the request of 1st District Attorney General Ken Baldwin, TBI Special Agents are investigating the circumstances that led to an officer-involved shooting that occurred Monday evening in Washington County.

Preliminary information indicates that just after 11:30 p.m., the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a male subject threatening to harm himself and a relative at a home in the 100 block of Polo Lane in Jonesborough. Deputies responded to the residence and encountered Gary P. Dorton, 44, on the front porch, armed with a large knife. Deputies asked Dorton to drop the knife, but he would not comply. At some point during the confrontation, Dorton charged one of the deputies, resulting in the deputy firing his service weapon, striking him. Dorton still refused to drop the knife and attempted to cut himself. At that point, deputies deployed a taser in order to subdue him. Though first responders administered CPR immediately, Dorton died at the scene.

This remains an active and ongoing investigation, as TBI Special Agents continue to work to gather any and all relevant interviews and evidence. As in any case, TBI’s investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General throughout the process for his consideration and review.

As is our policy, the TBI does not identify the officers involved in these types of incidents and instead refers questions of that nature to their respective department.

Any updates on this investigation will be posted online at TBINewsroom.com.