HICKMAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A former deputy opened fire at the Hickman County Sheriff's Office, damaging two vehicles.
The Hickman County sheriff's office says Jody Simmons fired a single shot from a shotgun around 9:30 Thursday morning, hitting two vehicles. The shotgun pellets hit a detective's vehicle and the deputy chief's vehicle. Simmons was taken into custody without incident. Charges are pending at this time.
"He walked into the administrative parking lot discharged one round which struck two of our vehicles," said Sgt. Michael Doddo. "He then proceeded to shout something at the building, walked towards the parking lot where a TBI special agent [was] coming to the parking lot on a different matter. He walks towards the agent, doesn’t recognize the agent walks away from the agent."
The sergeant continued to explain Simmons began walking toward the building again, but was confronted by city officers and Hickman County deputies, who took him into custody.
He was let go from the department in 2017. He took a plead deal and pleading guilty to disorderly conduct and failure to appear in court. The charges stemmed from a family incident that led to him discharging his weapon.
According to Sgt. Doddo, Simmons was still on probation from that misdemeanor when the incident happened Thursday morning.
Officials say they don't know what may have sparked Simmons to fire his shotgun.
"Simmons was a good deputy when he was here. I don't want to say anything negative about him," said Sgt. Doddo.
But they're thankful that no one was injured.
"I believe if it had not been for one of the officers that initially confronted him, we would be talking about a completely different situation," said Sgt. Doddo.
The sergeant said the security protocol for the building worked as it should have.
Simmons faces several charges for Thursday's shooting incident including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The full list of charges is below:
- 5 counts of aggravated assault with deadly weapon
- 6 counts of reckless endangerment with deadly weapon
- 2 counts of felony vandalism
- 2 counts of retaliation after the fact
He is being held on a $300,000 bond.
