On the morning of September 22, 1995, Deputy Sheriff Jerry Newson Jr., 33, was shot and killed while serving an eviction notice on Briggs Avenue in Nashville. Newson and a fellow deputy approached the residence; the man they were serving became argumentative, went inside, and then reappeared armed with a shotgun. The shooter struck Deputy Newson three times and also wounded the other deputy. Neither officer was wearing a protective vest at the time.

The suspect, described as 35, was taken into custody. He was initially found mentally incompetent to stand trial and committed to a mental health institution. The case later proceeded: in 2006 a court found him fit to face trial and on November 28, 2006 he was convicted of Newson’s murder and given a life sentence. The Tennessee Court of Appeals granted a new trial in 2009 on the grounds that his sanity had not been adequately considered, and he was released from custody at some point after 2010.

Newson was a seven-year veteran of the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and was survived by his son. Did anyone in Nashville at the time remember the deputies’ assignment or have information about the events on Briggs Avenue that morning?