No Charges Expected To Be Lodged Against Homeowner Who Shot Alzheimer's Patient He Believed To Be A Prowler

  • Wednesday, November 27, 2013

No charges are expected to be charged against a Walker County homeowner who shot and killed an Alzheimer's patient he believed to be a prowler.

The incident in which 72-year-old Ronald Westbrook was killed happened early Wednesday morning at 188 College Crest Court.

Joe Hendrix, 34, said he fired four shots at the man after he would not respond and kept coming toward him. The victim is a former Air Force pilot, who had wandered off before.

The victim had walked over two miles from his house in the frigid cold after slipping off.

Mr. Westbrook at one time managed the LaFayette-Barwick Airport. He attended church with Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson, who held a press conference about the incident.

Breaking News
TVA Says It Is Taking Steps To Keep Up With Growing Power Demand
  • 5/8/2025

The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors met in Cookeville on Thursday and received an update on TVA’s financial health as well as "the historic buildout the agency has undertaken to ... more

Hamilton County Man To Serve 30 Years In Georgia Prison For Domestic Abuse
Hamilton County Man To Serve 30 Years In Georgia Prison For Domestic Abuse
  • 5/8/2025

A 43-year-old Hamilton County man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison with 30 to serve after a tirade at his Catoosa County home. Stefon Smith was convicted by a Catoosa County jury after ... more

Red Bank Getting A Bicycle Boulevard; Commercial Development Planned At Tom Weathers Drive
  • 5/8/2025

A project that was started three years ago in Red Bank is now moving toward construction. The Red Bank Commission approved entering into an agreement with Barge Design Solutions for professional ... more