SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The District Attorney General has determined that no officers will be charged in the officer-involved shooting that left one person dead on May 12 in the New Center community of Sevier County, according to a release.
District Attorney General James B. Dunn completed his review of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation file detailing what happened during the shooting on August 4. New details about the shooting were included in the release.
A few days after the shooting, an arrest warrant revealed that the incident began when officers were attempting to make contact with Daryl Lynn Higdon, 66, of Sevierville at a home on Holly Drive after he fled from an attempted traffic stop. The warrant also mentioned that another occupant of the home opened the door for officers and police saw Higdon inside, “armed with an AR-15 style rifle.”
The DA’s release explains that after the attempted traffic stop, the Sevierville Police Officer who attempted the stop called for assistance from other SPD officers and deputies with the Sevier County Sheriff’s Officers. When the officers and deputies arrived at the home, an officer knocked on the door and spoke with David Wright, who lived at the address, and the conversation developed into the officer drawing his weapon and giving verbal commands, the release said.
The officer saw Higdon with a rifle, fired his weapon twice and Higdon fired multiple times from inside the residence, the DA said. More gunshots were fired from inside the residence at officers at the front and rear entrances of the home, according to a release. The DA said a witness inside the home and multiple officers identified the only person firing at officers was Higdon.
Evidence collected at the scene included 64 spent rifle cartridge casings in and around the residence, the release says.
After the shooting, the TBI identified the victim of the shooting as Wright. According to the District Attorney, officers at the front entrance were advised that Higdon was coming out of the home, but instead, Wright appeared and was shot by one of the officers. Wright died from that gunshot wound, the DA said.
The District Attorney worked to review the facts and evidence collected to determine if there was any criminal conduct linked to Wright’s death according to the release.
“Under all the evidence I have reviewed, including all reports, statements, physical evidence, both car and body-cam videos as well as other videos related to this incident, two matters are evident. One, the death of David Wright is horrible and tragic; and two, the death of David Wright is not the result of any criminal conduct on behalf of any law enforcement officer.”