HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. — UPDATE MARCH 8: An East Tennessee man sought in connection with an indictment filed as the result of a 2020 officer-involved shooting has been located in North Carolina.
Michael Snyder was arrested in Cherokee, N.C., over the weekend, according to the TBI.
He is in the Jackson County Detention Center, pending extradition to Tennessee, according to the TBI.
In June 2021, a Hawkins County grand jury indicted him on two counts of aggravated assault in connection with a May 2020 confrontation with Hawkins County authorities.
PREVIOUS STORY: At the request of 3rd District Attorney General Dan Armstrong, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agents are investigating the circumstances leading to an officer-involved shooting that occurred Sunday night in Hawkins County.
Preliminary information indicates at about 9:30 p.m., a deputy with the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office observed what appeared to be an abandoned car in the VFW Auxiliary parking lot, 200 N VFW Road in Bulls Gap, according to TBI.
While investigating the vehicle, the deputy heard a female call out to him. He made contact with the woman who stated her husband, identified as Michael Snyder, 44, walked into a nearby wooded area and mentioned harming himself, according to deputies.
Officials said Snyder had a warrant out of Hamblen County for failure to appear. Additional Hawkins County deputies, along with a K-9 team from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the scene to assist in searching for Snyder.
Deputies said they located Snyder a short distance away and discovered he had climbed a tree. At some point during the confrontation, Snyder reportedly fired a weapon at deputies.
One Hawkins County deputy and the Greene County deputy returned fire, striking him. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. No deputies were injured during the incident, according to the TBI.
This is an ongoing investigation, as TBI Special Agents gather any and all relevant interviews and evidence.