MARTIN, Tenn. — A Weakley County deputy was fatally shot while assisting on a possible shots fired call, WPSD reported.
Deputy Derrick Bonham, a husband and father of three, was struck by gunfire while aiding the Martin Police Department at a Pocket’s gas station on Jan. 30, Sheriff Terry McDade said at a news conference. The suspect allegedly fired the first shot from a vehicle, causing Bonham to fall, then exited and fired again.
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Bonham was taken to Volunteer Community Hospital, where he died from his injuries, according to the report. McDade said emergency personnel “worked on him harder than anybody I’ve ever seen worked on.”
McDade described Bonham as “quiet and humble.”
“We are devastated, to say the least, but nothing compared to what his young family is feeling,” the sheriff said.
The suspect’s name has not been released. McDade said he personally hopes for the death penalty in the case, although he noted that is his own view.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading the ongoing investigation. McDade said details that can be released are limited during active proceedings.
