Weakley County, Tenn.–At a press conference this morning, Weakley County Sheriff Terry McDade described the shooting death of Deputy Derrick Bonham as “a horrific, intentional killing”.
Sheriff McDade identified the deputy who was killed in the line of duty overnight as Derrick Bonham, of Greenfield. He was originally from East Tennessee.
The suspect is a “white female” who shot the deputy twice–once while standing over him, he said. The suspect is in custody, but has not yet been publicly identified.
Deputy Bonham was shot responding to a disturbance call and was transported to Volunteer Community Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Sheriff McDade described the scene of the killing. He said Deputy Bonham walked over to a white vehicle to have a conversation with the driver. “She opened the door” and fired a gun, striking him. The deputy then “fell to the ground” and the suspect “walked over and shot him again”.
Deputy Bonham was a husband and father of three children and was just 30 days short of completing two years of service with the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff McDade said. “He was quiet, humble,” he said.
“I’m not the judge and jury but this was an absolutely horrific, intentional killing”, Sheriff McDade said, “I hope for the death penalty.”
At approximately 2:51 a.m. today, officers from the Martin Police Department responded to a disturbance call at the Days Inn at 800 University St. for possible shots fired.
Deputies from the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist Martin Police.
As deputies were responding the scene at approximately 3:09 a.m., they saw an occupied vehicle leaving Pocket’s Gas Station at 821 University St., at which time the driver fired shots, striking the deputy.
Martin Officers then responded to the shooting scene on University St. where the suspect was taken into custody.