A Tennessee deputy, Dalton Swanger, was allegedly beaten by a suspect in front of a live audience as he appeared in a livestreamed police television show. He is now in critical condition, and the suspect was charged with attempted murder.
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According to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), the incident occurred during the night of June 21. Deputy Swanger, during a broadcast of On Patrol: Live, as per Law & Crime, responded to a shooting on Stanley Road.
After arriving at the scene, the suspect, Christopher Micahel Hensley, 44, allegedly struck Swanger with a “large rock or brick.”
As reported by Law & Crime, footage of the incident showed deputies, including Swanger, announcing themselves after finding Hensley in a wooded area. However, Hensley allegedly began throwing rocks at them, cursing while doing so. Swanger is shown entering the wooded area, and, in one moment, he fell.
Tom Rizzo, an analyst on On Patrol: Live, wrote on Facebook that the entire studio “went silent” as they watched the horrifying incident unfold.
Critical Condition
Deputy Swanger sustained serious injuries, became unresponsive, and was transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in critical condition.
The following day, Hensley was arrested. He was charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault on first-responder – domestic assault, possession of a firearm with intent to go armed, and manufacturing/delivering/selling/possession of a controlled substance.
Deputy Dalton Swanger remains in critical but stable condition at the trauma intensive care unit as of Wednesday, June 25. However, he has shown signs of improvement. For instance, he was able to move all of his limbs on Monday, June 23. That very same day, at 8 p.m., a prayer vigil was held for his recovery.
“We at the Knox County Sheriff’s Office sincerely appreciate the overwhelming support from our community and neighboring areas and the countless prayers and well wishes for Deputy Swanger that have poured in from every corner of the country,” the KCSO wrote.
A GoFundMe was set up to support Deputy Swanger’s medical expenses and his family.
“Deputy Swanger has dedicated his life to protecting our community,” the fundraiser reads. “Now it’s our turn to stand by him and his loved ones in their time of need.”