Lawsuit Filed Over Woman Who Drowned in Tennessee Deputy’s Car

According to the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Robert "R.J." Leonard accidentally took a wrong turn and drove into the Tennessee River.

March 5, 2024

A lawsuit was filed Monday on behalf of a Meigs County, Tennessee, woman who drowned in the back of a deputy’s vehicle last month.

On Feb. 14, Meigs County Deputy Robert “RJ” Leonard went missing after arresting Tabitha Smith.

According to the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, Leonard accidentally took a wrong turn and drove into the Tennessee River, WVLT reports.

The accident killed both the deputy and Smith.

The lawsuit alleges Leonard “was not properly trained by the County to know his assigned area of patrol and know the nature of the incident location.”

Leonard had been with the department for about two months prior to the incident.

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