A lawsuit has been filed by the adult son of a woman who died last month in the back of a Meigs County Deputy’s vehicle after the officer drove into the Tennessee River.
Tabitha Marie Smith was arrested by Deputy RJ Leonard on the night of February 14th. Authorities discovered the next day that Leonard had driven off a boat ramp. Smith’s handcuffed body was found in the back of the patrol vehicle. Deputy Leonard’s body was found in the water not far from the cruiser.
The lawsuit against Deputy Leonard and the Meigs County government alleges that Deputy Leonard, who had been with the Department for about 2 months ,“was not properly trained by the County to know his assigned area of patrol”, that the “location of the incident has a history of other people driving into the Tennessee River”, and that “Leonard was not properly trained or supervised by the County to refrain from the use of his cell phone while transporting an arrestee in a patrol vehicle.” The lawsuit also claims that “Based upon information and belief, Leonard ignored the Deceased’s warnings.”
The Plaintiff requests a trial by jury and $10 million in damages.