Body camera footage released from Tennessee deputy fatal shooting, heroic public assistance
By: The Blount County Sheriff’s Office released Friday the body camera footage in the death of Deputy Greg McCowan and injuring of Deputy Shelby Eggers.
Deputies McCowan and Eggers conducted a traffic stop on Kenneth DeHart on Feb. 8, BCSO officials said. During that stop, things escalated and Kenneth DeHart fired shots at the two deputies, killing McCowan and hitting Eggers multiple times in the leg.
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The subject of a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Blue Alert, Kenneth DeHart was one of Tennessee’s most-sought suspects during an almost five-day manhunt. He was eventually taken into custody on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at a Knoxville home and charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
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Several others were also charged in the case for giving aid to Kenneth DeHart, according to police. Kenneth DeHart’s brother, Marcus DeHart, girlfriend Carrie Matthews and a man identified as Maurice Warren have all been charged with accessory after the fact.
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The video itself is made up of body camera footage and dashcam footage from both deputies that shows DeHart’s driving before the stop, the stop itself and the minutes after the shooting.
The video begins from Egger’s perspective, showing the moments leading to the traffic stop. DeHart can be seen driving ahead of Eggers and crossing into the opposing lane of traffic.
During the stop, Eggers speaks to DeHart for several minutes before the confrontation happens.
When asked, DeHart tells Eggers he was driving erratically because he was putting his hair up. According to the sheriff’s office, Eggers smelled marijuana in the car as she spoke to DeHart, which prompted her to ask him to step out of the car. DeHart is shown in the video refusing to get out of the car and refusing to allow Eggers to search the car.
Instead, DeHart asks Eggers to call in a K-9 to a scent test on the car rather than searching it.
After a back-and-forth between Eggers and DeHart, the video shows McCowan arriving on the scene.
Once McCowan arrives on the scene, he again asks DeHart to step out of the car. After DeHart refuses again, the two deputies are shown trying to drag DeHart out of the car, then using a stun device on him. DeHart can be heard during the exchange asking the two to stop multiple times before he fires on both deputies.
DeHart is shown firing at least six times. Five of those shots ring while he is in the car and the deputies are at the driver’s side window. DeHart is then shown firing a final shot at McCowan before driving off, saying “I told you [explative].”
After being fired on, Eggers’ point of view shows her returning three rounds of fire, then applying a tourniquet to herself and radioing for help. As she is doing this, two bystanders walk into view and try to help Eggers and McCowan.
After a short time, backup arrives on the scene and places Eggers into a cruiser, then the cruiser drives away.
McCowan’s point of view begins when he arrives on the scene. He is shown asking DeHart to step out of the car before the two try to remove him from the car. When that does not work, McCowan uses the stun device on DeHart. Seconds later, DeHart fires on McCowan, and his video feed ends.