KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Three veteran Knox County Sheriff's Office lawmen have been cleared of any wrongdoing for their roles in the Feb. 2 fatal showdown and killing of a Georgia man who kidnapped a Knox County girl.
Hamilton County District Attorney General Coty Wamp informed Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler and the officers in a June 5 letter that they, in her opinion, used justified force in killing Edward Ahrens, 38, early the night of Feb. 2. The shooting happened in East Ridge, Tenn., near the Georgia line, after Ahrens pulled off Interstate 75.
The DA's review is standard in such fatal shootings.
Ahrens kidnapped an 11-year-old Knox County girl in late January after encountering her online. He was a convicted sex offender.
Wamp noted the officers feared the girl was in danger. Authorities from several agencies tracked Ahrens and suspected he was taking the child back to his home in North Georgia.
Authorities said Ahrens struck and wounded at least some of the officers with his vehicle. KCSO Chief David Amburn, Capt. Aaron Yarnell and John Sharp fired their service weapons at him as he drove with the girl in Hamilton County.
An autopsy showed Ahrens had been shot 16 times.
"Suspect Ahrens, in his vehicle, refused to stop and comply with law enforcement commands," Wamp wrote in the letter.
The girl was found unhurt in the vehicle. Authorities took her Erlanger Hospital for evaluation.
A fourth officer, Capt. Jeremy Keener of the Catoosa County, Ga., Sheriff's Office, also fired his gun at the vehicle Ahrens and the girl were in. Wamp also cleared Keener of any wrongdoing.
In reaching her decision, Wamp said she'd reviewed an investigation conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which is also standard.
"All four law enforcement officers involved in this incident committed no crimes for which they can be charged," Wamp wrote.
Wamp asked the TBI to step in and independently review the fatal shooting. The agency conducted interviews and collected evidence as part of its investigation.
After the shooting the men were put on administrative leave with pay, which is standard. They returned to work after completing their interviews with the TBI, according to department spokeswoman Kimberly Glenn.
"Sheriff Tom Spangler is grateful that our men and women, along with the Catoosa County captain and the child, are safe after the incident. He appreciates the TBI and Hamilton County District Attorney's hard work and efforts throughout the investigation," Glenn said Monday afternoon in a statement.