| By BRAD GASKINS
News Editor
A woman was airlifted to a hospital Friday after a Weakley County sheriff’s deputy shot her during the execution of a search warrant.
Tonya Arnold, 44, was shot at least once in the chest when she allegedly pulled a handgun from beneath a newspaper and aimed it at authorities at a rural Weakley County home.
The incident started when the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department went to a mobile home at 3780 Chestnut Glade Road with a meth-related search warrant. It was identified as Melvin Michael Harrison’s residence.
“We executed that search warrant and a couple workers from (the Department of Children’s Services) were out here with us because there were children out here,” Weakley County Sheriff Mike Wilson told The Press at the scene.
As authorities completed their search, there were three children, all belonging to Harrison, playing outside the home, Wilson said. Inside with deputies were Harrison, 40, Amanda Williams, Matt Cunningham and Arnold.
“They were actually through doing everything,” Wilson said. “She (Arnold) put her hand underneath a newspaper and brought out a gun and pointed it at the other people there. The officer fired.”
In addition to the chest wound, Arnold was shot twice in the legs, Wilson said.
“I think she’s going to be OK,” Wilson said. “She was conscious and talking when they airlifted her out.”
Five officers were on the scene at the time of the shooting, Wilson said.
Cunningham and Ms. Williams were transported to the Weakley County Jail and will likely be charged with promotion of methamphetamine, Wilson said. A meth lab was found at the scene.
Wilson declined to name the deputy who fired the shots, referring that question to the Tennessee Bur-eau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting.
Harrison was not transported to jail but will face charges, Wilson said.Harrison, who was seen sitting in a wheelchair talking to investigators, recently had his leg amputated below the knee following a motorcycle wreck in Martin. Published in The WCP 6.18.13 |
