SUNBRIGHT, Tenn. — A 60-year-old Morgan County man is in the hospital and is expected to face charges after deputies said he fired shots outside an animal shelter and broke in through a window.
It happened a MoCo Mutts Rescue Center, a non-profit animal shelter in the Sunbright community that takes in abused, lost and abandoned dogs.
According to the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, deputies received a call around 4:30 p.m. Monday about an armed man threatening an employee. When they arrived, they said a 60-year-old man was inside the shelter and saw gunshots had been fired outside the building.
Deputies said the man shot several times outside the building to get inside. When that failed, they said he broke out a window and entered the shelter.
Deputies believe the man was trying to get inside to retrieve his animal.
MCSO said three deputies got into an "altercation" of some sort with the man. The three deputies suffered minor superficial injuries and were able to disarm him and take him into custody. MCSO said the three were treated on the scene.
The man suffered injuries and was taken to Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge for treatment. MCSO said he will be charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, vandalism and reckless endangerment. Deputies are not identifying him until the investigation is concluded.
MoCo Mutts Rescue Center posted about the incident on social media Monday, saying they were OK but a "little shaken up."