A routine welfare check in Blountville, Tennessee, in late February 2019 ended in the death of a long-serving deputy. Sullivan County Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Hinkle, 65, was shot while responding to a call at a Highway 11W residence. Deputies encountered gunfire when they arrived; Hinkle was struck during an exchange as officers tried to establish communication and de-escalate the situation.

The shooter, 44-year-old Jackie Scott Pendergrass, then barricaded himself inside the home and a prolonged standoff followed. After several hours, officers found Pendergrass dead inside the residence. Deputy Hinkle, a 27-year veteran who had served as a school resource officer at Sullivan Central High School, was critically injured, taken to a hospital, and died on Tuesday, February 26, 2019. He was posthumously promoted to sergeant and later honored when a section of Highway 11W in Blountville was dedicated as the Sergeant Steve Hinkle Memorial Highway.

If anyone knew Sergeant Hinkle or has information about the events that morning, please share what might help clarify the timeline or circumstances.