Authorities discovered the bodies of a missing Tennessee deputy and a woman he had detained in a submerged patrol car Thursday night, nearly a day after he reportedly alerted dispatchers about “water” while transporting the woman to the county jail, officials stated.
Robert “RJ” Leonard, a rookie deputy with the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, and the unidentified woman were found in the Tennessee River and were being taken to the Knoxville Regional Medical Examiner’s Office, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
His patrol car was recovered from the river, situated on the border of Hamilton and Meigs counties. Officials from the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office described the vehicle as overturned, with the driver-side window rolled down and the trunk compromised due to the force of the water pressure, as reported by ABC News.
During a news conference, officials mentioned that a body, believed to be that of the unidentified woman under custody, was discovered in the back seat of the vehicle.
Leonard had last made contact around 10 p.m. Wednesday after responding to a disturbance call involving a man and a woman on a bridge. He subsequently detained the woman and informed dispatchers that he was en route to the county jail with the suspect.
However, communication with the deputy ceased shortly afterward, with dispatchers unable to establish contact during subsequent status checks.
