Meigs County Grand Jury Finds Drowning Death Of Deputy, Prisoner Was "Terrible Accident"

  • Monday, November 25, 2024
R.J. Leonard and Tabitha Smith
R.J. Leonard and Tabitha Smith

The Meigs County Grand Jury has determined that the drowning deaths of deputy J.R. Leonard and prisoner Tabitha Smith in the Tennessee River was "a terrible accident."

The panel recommended the placing of barriers or a gate, along with warning lights, to prevent a similar accident from happening again.

Another recommendation was that GPS systems be placed in all Meigs County patrol vehicles.

The incident happened last Feb. 14 when the new deputy took a wrong turn in the dark at Blythe Ferry Landing at Highway 60.

Ms. Smith was handcuffed in the back seat.

The deputy's wife, Christa Leonard, said he stopped by the house for dinner, and received a call about a woman on a bridge. At 10:03 p.m., she got a message that said "arrest." Authorities said his vehicle "hit the water" 46 seconds later.

A 9th District District Attorney report said Meigs County has few residents and the Sheriff's Office is underfunded. It says none of the patrol vehicles had factory GPS systems.

It says the deputy stopped by for the Valentine's Dinner to spend time with his wife and five children.

He then went to the Highway 60 bridge where there were reports of someone walking into traffic. He took Ms. Smith into custody, saying it appeared she was on some type of drugs.

The report said Ms. Smith has an extensive criminal record with 29 separate charges.

He then took a wrong turn off Shadden Road and headed for the river in the foggy night. He was able to radio a single word "water" after doing so.

The vehicle was discovered upside down in the river the next day after a search began at daylight. The body of deputy Leonard was found outside the vehicle. Ms. Smith's body was in the back seat with her feet and legs out an open window.

An autopsy showed Ms. Smith with THC, methamphetamine and amphetamine in her system.

The report says, "Deputy Leonard was new to patrolling Meigs County. He was originally from New York having lived there his entire life before moving to Tennessee around 2022."

Both of those who died in the incident were age 35.

A Highway Patrol reports says there are several warning signs ahead of the concrete boat ramp where the patrol vehicle went into the water.

A Highway Patrol investigator said the incident was apparently caused by the new deputy's unfamiliarity with the roads and by possible distraction from using his cell phone.

According to Deputy Leonard’s wife, he had purchased a GPS device out of pocket to use for navigation while on duty. The initial inventory of the vehicle concluded that there was no navigation system located in the vehicle.

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