Tennessee officer wounded in welfare-check shootout dies
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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.