Suspect In Deputy's Killing Kills Self

Tenn. Authorities Say Man Shot Himself After Daylong Manhunt

(AP)  A man suspected of killing a sheriff's deputy and wounding another officer has died after shooting himself at the end of a daylong manhunt.

Kermit Bryson died Friday around 12:30 a.m. at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, house supervisor David Trillet said.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation director Mark Gwyn said agents found Bryson behind his girlfriend's house Thursday evening and negotiated with him for about 20 minutes before he shot himself in the head.

Federal, state and local authorities launched a manhunt for Bryson after the Thursday morning shooting death of Grundy County sheriff's deputy Shane Tate, 28.

Gwyn said officers did not fire any shots during the negotiations in Monteagle, a town of 1,200 people along Interstate 24 about 35 miles northwest of Chattanooga.

"We gave it the best effort we could," Gwyn said.

Tate died at a mobile home where he was trying to take Bryson into custody on a probation violation warrant.

Officers had been looking for Bryson for six to eight months when they found him around 3 a.m. Thursday at a mobile home in Monteagle.

Shots were fired and Tate died at the scene, Gwyn said.

Monteagle Police Officer Brian Malhoit was grazed by a bullet but not seriously hurt. A reserve deputy also at the scene wasn't injured.

Gwyn said there were other people in the home at the time of the shooting, although he declined to identify them.

Within hours of the shooting, armed officers were using dogs and helicopters to comb the rugged area at the southern end of the Cumberland Plateau in what TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm described as "an absolute all-out manhunt."

A neighbor and longtime friend of Bryson's said shooting someone would be out of character for him.

"He's not a bad guy. He had to freak out in some way," said Tim D. Sanders, 30, before authorities found Bryson.

Sanders said he and Bryson spent weekends in jail together last summer and that the slain deputy was the jailer. He said Tate and Bryson were friendly.

Bryson's criminal record includes convictions for theft, burglary and a jail escape in 2001.

Grundy County Mayor Ladue Bouldin said Tate was married with five young children and had graduated from Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy just two weeks ago.

Probation officials said the warrant was issued for Bryson because he failed drug screens and violated curfew while on probation for a 2007 felony marijuana possession charge.

Helm said the three officers approached Bryson's mobile home carefully and made their way inside. Officers often serve warrants early in the morning, expecting that suspects will be asleep.

"The officer was actually shot inside the residence," she said.

Bryson's former mother-in-law, Marcia Crowe, said Bryson was married to her daughter for about a year before they divorced several years ago, and they have a 10-year-old daughter.

"I saw it on TV and I just couldn't believe it," Crowe, a 57-year-old from Dayton, said in a phone interview Thursday. "I expected him to steal, do dope and stuff like that, but I never thought he would kill someone."

Brian Grisham, director of the training academy, called Tate a good officer and person.

"He seemed enthusiastic about what he was about to do," Grisham said.

[cfin5]

Helm said the three officers approached Bryson''s mobile home carefully and made their way inside. Officers often serve warrants early in the morning, expecting that suspects will be asleep.

"The officer was actually shot inside the residence," she said. ------- Don''t take what I say wrong here. I''m always on the Sheriff''s side of law and order. My younger brother is a Sheriff Deputy.......But I want to hear more about the timing of the shooting. Was the guy in bed and wakened suddenly with a firearm at hand? Did this guy have any hearing problems? Just seems that the offense of the warrant was minor to justify a different approach to its serving. Now an officer and father of FIVE CHILDREN is dead. Not setting blame here, just hate seeing fatherless children under any circumstance. Remember those kids deputies,.....your their god parents now.

[tootall10142]

HERE! HERE! cfin5 WELL PUT I AGREE IT SEEMS A LITTE STRANGE TO ME.HERE IN THE COUTRY SIDE WHERE I LIVE, POLICE WOULDNT DARE APPROACH A HOME AT NIGHT LIKE THEY DID.THE AUTHORITIES HERE ASSUME EVERYONE IS ARMED ALL THE TIMEEVERYWHERE.

[sentry88]

GOOD BOY KERMIT. YOU HAVE SAVED THE STATE TONS OF MONEY FOR HOUSING YOUR ***.

[lambofgoth]

Deputy was 28 with FIVE kids??? Christ.

[extremophil]

I Looooove a happy ending.

[rational_1]

GOOD BOY KERMIT. YOU HAVE SAVED THE STATE TONS OF MONEY FOR HOUSING YOUR ***.
Posted by sentry88 at 07:54 AM : Jun 06, 2008

But it would have turned out better had you offed yourself one day earlier!

[honestabe8]

good. saves the cost of a trial and lifetime incarceration.

[killtheliars]

As soon as his partents named him Kermit a troubled future was in the cards.
To bad he didn''t just kill himself before taking another life.

[gopsoccermom]

lambofgoth, whats wrong with having 5 children? He is trying to make up for the no children liberals and their human depleteing population scheme.

[cfin5]

Deputy was 28 with FIVE kids??? Christ.

Posted by lambofgoth at 07:59 AM : Jun 06, 2008----- That''s nothing. My father is the 14th. child of sixteen. One twin girl died before birth and would have been seventeen. I''m the oldest of twelve,...last six adapted. We''ve always been......busy :)

[hambonehd]

"I told you Kermit would croak."

Posted by dragonwagon5 at 06:45 AM : Jun 06, 2008


LMAO!!!!

[superdem]

gopsoccermom - you are one sick woman. I''ve read your posts many times and always thought the same thing. One hateful, sick woman. Just right for the GOP.

[questionnews]

gopsoccermom - you are one sick woman. I''''ve read your posts many times and always thought the same thing. One hateful, sick woman. Just right for the GOP.

Posted by superdem at 10:04 AM : Jun 06, 2008

Fish on!!!!!
You have been suckered. gopsoccermom is a lefty that poses as a wacko right winger and posts statements intended enrage liberals into responding just as you did. It''s amazing how many people go for the bait.

[haoli25]

Way to take one for the team, Kermit!

[mswolfestock]

gopsoccermom, you yourself are a poster child for birth control. I shudder to think that you are breeding another generation of nasty, narrow-minded, bigoted, and intolerant degenerates. Get a life and get your tubes tied.

[jumkey]

gopsoccermom is a lefty that poses as a wacko right winger and posts statements intended enrage liberals

Posted by Questionnews

Really? How can you tell? Nothing gopsoccermom posts is distinguishable from everyday rants by Rush, Hannity or any other slobbering street corner wingnut.

Maybe it isn''t satire because Republicans have gone so far over into looney land that it''s ALL satire.

[bdrlnt4rl]

There is nothing wrong with haveing more that 1 child as long as you are in a one woman, one man relationship that the children are not being taken care of by the government and raised to respect the law, other people and their thoughts and values.

but, it would be nice if all criminals would take care of things in the manner in which this idiot did. it would save lots of time and money.

[still-here2]

Fish on!!!!!
You have been suckered. gopsoccermom is a lefty that poses as a wacko right winger and posts statements intended enrage liberals into responding just as you did. It''''s amazing how many people go for the bait.

Posted by Questionnews at 10:10 AM : Jun 06, 2008



More likely intended to make conservatives look bad.

[bdrlnt4rl]

i think that propiganda has played a major role in filling peoples head that it is inhumane to have a large family. talk about power of suggestion. maybe some of the ones attacking soccermom fell into that when making their comments. i have not read some of soccermom comments, but i will pay closer attention.

[jumkey]

There is nothing wrong with haveing more that 1 child as long as you are in a one woman, one man relationship that the children are not being taken care of by the government and raised to respect the law, other people and their thoughts and values.

Posted by bdrlnt4rl

A "one woman, one man relationship" relationship? How does this respect the "thoughts and values" of gay or single parents?

[still-here2]

Having 5 kids is fine as long as the parents are able to aford them a stable envirionment and financial support independant of welfare.

[bdrlnt4rl]

jumkey

it teaches the children to respect the gay and single parents. duh

[bdrlnt4rl]

jumkey

and those parents should teach their child the same. duh

[bdrlnt4rl]

this point is it would be nice if all criminals would take care of things in the manner in which this idiot did. it would save lots of time and money.

[dobbershome]

Good deal. 1 less scumbag to house.

[bdrlnt4rl]

in fact, i just watched escape from NY yesterday and thought that would be a marvel idea. give all the inmates a gun in an inclosed heavily walled area with nothing, no food, water, beds, nothing just them all standing looking at eachother and see ''who is the last criminal standing''.lol

[mexinvasion]

I doubt if ol Kermit will be causing us any more trouble.

[bdrlnt4rl]

i guess i would be screwed up if my name was kirmet