The body of a deputy who disappeared after making an arrest has been recovered, authorities said Thursday night.

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee confirmed in a Facebook post that following a search with the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, the body of Deputy Robert “R.J.” Leonard had been found hours after his vehicle was located in a river.

Authorities had been searching for the deputy after he failed to respond to a status check after taking a woman into custody around 10 p.m. local time on Wednesday, officials previously said.

Multiple agencies will investigate how the vehicle ended up in the water. However, Johnson noted that the deputy, a native of New York, appeared to be texting and radioing while driving in a poorly lit area he was unfamiliar with.

  • Deceptichum@sh.itjust.works
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    9 months ago

    appeared to be texting and radioing while driving

    "We’re operating under the theory that it was an accident