A murder suspect wanted in the fatal shooting of a Tennessee deputy has been caught following a nearly weeklong manhunt , authorities said.
Kenneth DeHart was detained in Knoxville on Tuesday, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office said on social media while sharing a photo of a large police presence outside a residence.
The 42-year-old fugitive was wanted on first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder charges in connection with the shooting of two Blount County deputies on Thursday, state police said. He also faces one count of being a felon in possession of a weapon.
The shooting occurred during a traffic stop in Maryville Thursday evening, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office said. “Erratic driving” prompted the stop, authorities said. Blount County deputy Greg McCowan, 43, was killed and deputy Shelby Eggers, 22, was shot in the leg, the sheriff’s office said. She has since been released from an area hospital.
Authorities said they believe the suspect moved around the area over the past five days before investigative work led law enforcement to a residence in Knoxville, located about 17 miles north of Maryville. DeHart was apprehended after stepping into the backyard of the home Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.