A Tennessee Sheriff’s deputy was severely injured during a live broadcast of a police-themed television show, allegedly at the hands of a suspect he was attempting to apprehend.
On Saturday, “Patrol: Live” captured a concerning event where Knox County Sheriff Deputy Dalton Swanger confronted Christopher Hensley in a Knoxville area described as residential, but also having elements of a wooded, legal and criminal zone.
Deputies were searching for 44-year-old Hensley after receiving reports of a nearby shooting.
Desperate calls echoed as deputies shouted “The Sheriff’s Office!” into the woods, only to be met with a retort from an unknown voice.
Deputy Swanger moved into the thick brush, likely to face off against the suspect.
The suspect reportedly assaulted the deputy with bricks and rocks, resulting in a hard fall for Swanger.
As the tension in the studio mounted, a chilling silence enveloped the scene, and Swanger’s colleagues rushed to assist him. In a moment of determination, he managed to utter, “I’m going to get heavy,” while trying to regain his stance.
Swanger was eventually pulled from the dark woods by fellow deputies and transported to a hospital, where he was placed in the ICU.
His girlfriend shared with a local news outlet her perspective of the distressing incident.
Reportedly, a fellow deputy had to drag Swanger’s lifeless form out of the forest. Despite initially seeming resilient, his condition worsened when the camera stopped rolling.
Once at the Tennessee Medical Center, Swanger did not respond and remained in intensive care, per reports.
It has since been noted by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office that, though still in recovery, Swanger has shown some improvement and is now able to move all four limbs.
Hensley was taken into custody after the live broadcast concluded and faces multiple charges, including attempted second-degree murder and other serious offenses.
A fundraising campaign set up for Swanger has garnered over $65,000.
