MEIGS COUNTY, Tenn. — A mourning community gathered in Meigs High School on Monday to honor the life of a deputy who died after driving into the Tennessee River following an arrest. The woman he arrested also died as his cruiser was submerged.
The Meigs County Sheriff's Office said Robert "R.J." Leonard had just started as a deputy in December 2023. District Attorney General Russell Johnson said Leonard had arrested Tabitha Smith for public intoxication the evening of Wednesday night. Her body was found in the cruiser, while Leonard's was found later on Thursday.
"It's really, really a big hit," said Robert Wattenbarger, who attended the funeral service Monday night. "It's a small town. Everybody supports each other when something like this happens."
The high school was covered in blue lights while the community recounted memories and spoke about Leonard. The death hit home for Wattenbarger, whose grandson was a deputy who worked for the sheriff's office.
"[He] had just started to work, wasn't familiar with the neighborhood and the territory," said Wattenbarger.
Johnson said no body camera or dashcam video of the incident is available, because Meigs County did not have the ability to purchase them.
Leonard will be buried Tuesday afternoon in Decatur. He was 35 years old and leaves behind a wife and five children.