Trenton, Tenn.–A Lauderdale County deputy was brutally assaulted by a man who later took his own life in Trenton. Deputy Jereka Maclin is in a Memphis hospital with severe injuries. A Trenton man who allegedly helped the suspect flee has been arrested.
Lauderdale County Sheriff Brian Kelley said on Sunday, June 18, while most of us were preparing to celebrate Father’s Day, Deputy Jereka Maclin was brutally assaulted by the estranged father of her child.
During the early hours, La’Rico Farmer entered the bedroom of Deputy Maclin and their minor child and subsequently shot her in the head and face two times with a 40-caliber firearm. Farmer fled the scene and later wrecked his vehicle in Dyer County as Deputy Maclin was fighting for her life.
After a multi-agency search, Farmer was located at a residence in Trenton, where Farmer took his own life before being apprehended by law enforcement.
Kelley said, “During the investigation, it was determined that Eric Claybrooks assisted Farmer in evading law enforcement capture, which allowed Farmer to flee from Dyer County and subsequently travel to Trenton. Claybrooks is currently being held in the Lauderdale County Jail and facing multiple charges related to his involvement in this crime.”
“Deputy Maclin is a School Resource Officer (SRO) with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office who is scheduled to graduate from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy on Friday, June 23rd. Deputy Maclin is a single mother of one child and has a passion for helping the youth of Lauderdale County, and this is why she chose a career as an SRO,” he said.
Kelley said, “Deputy Maclin’s grit, strength and will to live are second to none as she is alert and recovering at the Regional One Medical Center in Memphis, TN. Though her injuries are severe and her journey is far from over, she is expected to recover fully.”
The collaboration between departments during this time of need were unprecedented. When the call come out, agencies from across West Tennessee quickly came together to ensure that justice was brought to such a brutal and senseless crime.
Sheriff Brian Kelley and the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all the agencies who assisted and ask that everyone continue to pray for the family of Deputy Maclin as she recovers.
Ripley Police Department
Halls Police Department
Dyer County Sheriff’s Office
Dyersburg Police Department
Tipton County Sheriff’s Office
Tennessee Highway Patrol
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy
United States Marshal Service