The physique of a Tennessee deputy, who disappeared after making an arrest, has been recovered after his patrol automobile was discovered underwater.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Workplace (HCSO) in Tennessee confirmed in a Fb submit that the physique of 35-year-old Deputy Robert “R.J.” Leonard had been discovered on Thursday night.
“His stays are at present being escorted to the Knoxville Regional Medical Examiner’s Workplace by motor items with the HCSO, Tennessee Freeway Patrol, and the Chattanooga Police Division,” police mentioned.
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Leonard, a rookie on the power, responded to a report of a person and lady preventing on a bridge shortly earlier than 10 p.m. Wednesday and took the lady into custody, based on Meigs County District Legal professional Russell Johnson.
Authorities started looking for the deputy after he failed to reply to a standing examine.
Johnson mentioned that considered one of Leonard’s final communications was a textual content to his spouse that mentioned, “Arrest.”
“His spouse texted again and mentioned, ‘That is good’ or ‘That is nice,'” Johnson reported throughout a press briefing. “We all know that his cellphone didn’t, evidently, obtain that textual content.”
Early Thursday, authorities made the alarming discovery of Leonard’s patrol automobile the wrong way up in the Hiwassee River.
Police discovered the physique of the lady within the backseat of the patrol automobile. Police imagine that the physique belongs to the arrestee.
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A number of companies are investigating how the automobile ended up within the water.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Johnson mentioned that they imagine that this was an accident.
Johnson mentioned {that a} preliminary report famous that the deputy gave the impression to be texting and radioing whereas driving in a poorly lit space.
“We’re working below the idea that it was an accident — he missed his flip, he wasn’t acquainted, and he was doing different issues that will have triggered him to enter the water,” Johnson mentioned on the press briefing.
Officers mentioned that the 35-year-old deputy lived close by along with his spouse and three youngsters.
“Deputy Leonard had been on the power about two months,” Meigs County Sheriff Jackie Melton mentioned. “He was doing a fairly good job. A very good job. It is simply onerous when the division is sort of a household.”