Steve Hinkle died Tuesday after he was struck by gunfire while conducting a welfare check. (Sullivan County Sheriff's Office)
A Tennessee police officer shot over the weekend when a welfare check morphed into a shootout has died, officials said Tuesday.
Police said Sgt. Steve Hinkle, with the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, was shot by 44-year-old Jackie Scott Pendergrass on Saturday.
“Sergeant Hinkle proudly served Sullivan County with honor and distinction for over 27 years as a full-time employee,” the sheriff’s office said via Facebook. “He also served as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for five years prior to his full-time employment.”
According to the Tennessee Bureaus of Investigation (TBI), deputies were dispatched to Pendergrass' home after a welfare check was requested.
The suspect opened fire on police and then barricaded himself in the home, prompting an hours-long standoff in which police returned fire.
Hinkle was struck at one point and was taken to the hospital in serious condition. Police eventually entered the home to find Pendergrass dead.
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The TBI issued a statement Tuesday confirming Hinkle's death. It said an investigation is ongoing.
