Publisher Bailey Hufstetler
(Updated 8:05PM)
According to Rhea and Meigs County officials the body of the missing deputy has been recovered. Details still to come.
Earlier Story:
Meigs County Sheriffs Department is currently searching for one of their own this morning after a deputy went missing after responding to a call of a man and woman possibly fighting on Highway 60 bridge late last night.
Meigs County Officials stated during a press conference that Deputy RJ Leonard arrived on scene at 9:48pm. Three minutes later at 9:51pm, the deputy announced on his radio that he would be transporting a subject to the Meigs County Jail. The next communication that the dispatch center received happened 12 minutes later at 10:03pm when some radio traffic came across that the dispatcher couldn’t understand. After analyzing the traffic, Meigs County Authorities believe he might have been saying something about water.
After status checks on all of the deputies on duty, Deputy Leonard was the only one that didn’t respond. That’s when the search began. Immediately other deputies and agencies responded to the area to look for Deputy Leonard and his arrestee. The arrestee is still unidentified at this time.
Now authorities from several different agencies in the area including Meigs, Hamilton, and even Rhea County has turned its focus to the old Ferry Landing on Blythe Ferry Rd after scans have showed a vehicle under water. Currently dive teams from Hamilton County are working to see if that vehicle is the one they are searching for.
Deputy RJ Leonard is originally from New York and has only been with Meigs County Sheriff’s Department for a few months. He is a recent graduate of the police academy. Leonard is married with children.
You can count on us to keep you updated about this developing story here at The Rhea County Observer.
This article was written by Publisher Bailey Hufstetler. You can reach him for comment at bailey@rheacountyobserver.com.
