BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — A Blount County man accused of shooting and wounding two deputies in June appeared in Blount County Sessions Court on Monday for his arraignment.
Ronald Reed Millsaps, 59, is facing a number of charges connected to events police say happened on the 1100 block of Jacob Springs Boulevard in Rockford on June 11.
Millsaps is facing two counts of attempted criminal homicide, one count of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated domestic assault, four counts of reckless endangerment and five counts of aggravated assault. He's being held in jail, with a bond of more than $1 million.
Police said he's accused of shooting Blount County deputies Corbin Smith, 25, and Edward Walker, 28, during a domestic dispute on June 11.
Smith and Walker survived their injuries.
During the hearing, Blount Sessions Court Judge William K. Brewer read the charges and asked Millsaps if he'd been in contact with the county's public defender office.
Millsaps replied and confirmed he's been in contact with that office. Judge Brewer set a preliminary hearing date for Millsaps for Aug. 20 at 9 a.m.
The Blount County Sheriff's Office said they were called to Millsaps' home for a domestic dispute, and after they arrived he was noncompliant, which resulted in shots fired. Sheriff James Berrong told media last week that the deputies lost sight of Millsaps in the garage of that home, and when Millsaps saw the deputies later, he started to shoot them.
Berrong said Millsaps fired at least 100 rounds, but the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will be looking into the case to determine exactly how many shots were fired. Millsaps had multiple firearms in the home, Berrong said.
"We had information he had weapons in every area of the house, and window sills and beside the doors," Berrong said. "He was ready for a battle and that’s what he came to us with.”
Berrong said the deputies went behind their vehicles and returned fire, and Millsaps went back into the home. He said both wounded deputies placed their own tourniquets.
"Deputies were able to rescue Deputy Smith and Deputy Walker while taking gunfire from the suspect,” Berrong said.
Berrong said there was a woman in the home at the time of the shooting who was believed to be a bedridden relative. Berrong also said BCSO had responded to the same home on multiple occasions. No one else was hurt in the home.
Deputies Smith and Walker are the third and fourth members of the Blount County Sheriff's Office who've been shot in the line of duty since February.
Police said deputies Greg McCowan and Shelby Eggers were shot during a traffic stop on Sevierville Road on Feb. 8.
McCowan succumbed to his injuries. Kenneth Wayne DeHart Jr. is facing several charges, including first-degree murder, connected to the shootings of McCowan and Eggers.