Sheriff’s Office releases body cam footage of May officer-involved shooting

The Stewart County Sheriff’s Office released body cam footage of an officer-involved shooting in late May.

Officials said they were notified by District Attorney Ray Crouch this week that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation had completed its investigation into the May 22 officer-involved shooting.

The shooting occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Highway 46 in Indian Mound, where deputies had responded to a suspicious vehicle report. The TBI said deputies soon made contact with a man named Billy Joe Reynolds, who was making suicidal comments and had a firearm.

As deputies awaited specially-trained officers to work to diffuse the situation, Reynolds reportedly fired his weapon in the direction of law enforcement, resulting in three deputies returning fire, striking and killing him. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

DA Crouch said after reviewing the case files, his office concluded that the use of force by deputies was justified and that anyone with concerns or questions about the incident should contact the DA’s office.

“My deputies acted professionally, appropriately, and showed restraint during this incident,” said Sheriff Frankie Gray. “Their actions were dictated by the actions of Mr. Billy Joe Reynolds. Those deputies involved were Chief Deputy Dale Ward, Sgt. Ryan Goldsmith, and Deputy Corey Etherton. Normally releasing the deputies involved serves no purpose but the deputies involved requested their names be released because false information that has been distributed on social media has led to deputies that were not involved in the shooting and their family members receiving threats of violence against them, which is unacceptable. My prayers go out to my deputies, their families, and the victim’s family.”