On Thursday, February 15, the body of a missing deputy sheriff was found, as disclosed by the police via a Facebook post.
The discovery of Deputy Robert R.J. Leonard’s body in the Tennessee River was announced by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee. The discovery marked the end of an intensive search operation.
Leonard had gone missing after making an arrest late on a Wednesday evening. His submerged vehicle was located in the river, bordering Meigs and Hamilton counties, by the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office and other authorities in the early hours of Thursday.
Leonard had responded to a dispute between a man and a woman on a bridge just before 10 p.m. on Wednesday, February 14, and had taken the woman into custody. However, after the arrest, he failed to communicate with dispatch, triggering an immediate search. The located vehicle was overturned in the water, with the driver’s side window open, and the arrested woman’s mud-covered body was found in the backseat. Leonard’s body was recovered shortly afterward.
Several law enforcement agencies, including the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Chattanooga Police Department, Tennessee, participated in the recovery mission. Leonard’s remains were transported to the Knoxville Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.
Initial findings suggest that the incident was an accident. District Attorney Russell Johnson highlighted the hazardous nature of the area near the bridge and proposed that Leonard, possibly distracted and unfamiliar with the area, may have unintentionally driven into the river. This theory is partly supported by Leonard’s last known messages: a text to his wife stating “Arrest,” and an unclear radio message to dispatch thought to be “Water.” A location-sharing app on his wife’s phone would help locate her husband’s last known location.
Leonard, originally from New York, joined the force after graduating from the training academy in December. Meigs County Sheriff Jackie Melton praised Leonard’s outstanding work during the night shift. The loss of Deputy Leonard has profoundly impacted his colleagues, including Meigs County Chief Deputy Brian Malone, who shared the department’s collective sorrow and underlined Leonard’s value to their law enforcement family.
This incident has triggered conversations regarding the safety of the area, particularly for those unfamiliar with its layout. A similar incident occurred a few weeks ago when a woman was rescued from the same area.
Leonard is survived by his wife and three children in nearby Roane County. The local law enforcement and community are grieving the loss of Deputy Leonard, whose commitment to his duty ended in this unfortunate event.
