A Tennessee sheriff's deputy was beaten into critical condition by a suspect he was attempting to track down during a livestreamed television show, Law and Crime reports.
Knox County Sheriff's Deputy Dalton Swanger, whose age wasn't publicly revealed, was chasing down Christopher Hensley in a wooded area during the broadcast of On Patrol: Live when he was allegedly struck in the face by a brick or a rock. Police sought Hensley, 44, for a shooting in a residential Knoxville neighborhood.
Several deputies yelled, "Sheriff's Office!" into the woods and a voice challenged back with expletives. Swanger was then seen going into the thicket with his own gun drawn before being attacked by Hensley and falling down on his side.
“The entire studio went silent as we watched what happened next. His mates dragging him to safety to render aid … as Dalton tried to regain his feet, says, ‘I’m going to be heavy,’” On Patrol: Live co-host Tom Rizzo said in a statement posted to Facebook.
Swanger's girlfriend told WBIR that she was watching On Patrol: Live's broadcast when the incident took place. Fellow deputies dragged Swanger's body out of the woods by his arm as he initially attempted to brush off the injury, which took a negative turn after cameras went off. The deputy was brought to Tennessee Medical Center and is current in the intensive care unit, according to Law and Crime.
Swanger is reported to have made strides in his recovery, regaining movement in all four of his limbs, according to the Knox County Sheriff's Office. Hensley was arrested after the broadcast went off-air and charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault on a first responder, possession of a firearm with intent to go armed, and manufacturing/delivering/selling/possession of a controlled substance, according to Law and Crime.
A GoFundMe launched to support Swanger and his family has already raised more than $70,000 in donations.