DEKALB COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A grand jury has indicted the Warren County District Attorney after he discharged his weapon during a police chase in Smithville in November.
Chris Stanford, 43, was charged with reckless endangerment, a felony. He was booked into the DeKalb County Jail on Monday.
This all happened when authorities closed in on suspect Caleb Brookins, 28, who shut down much of downtown Smithville in Dekalb County. That's when a getaway car driven by an accomplice hit an officer. It turns out DA Stanford — who says he was very invested in the suspect because of a triple homicide in Warren County — was there at the active scene with deputies.
Stanford was there in body armor and with his service weapon. While Stanford said he was POST-certified and participated in firearms training, the Tennessee Department of Insurance and Commerce confirmed there were no records of him doing so.
Moments after the car hit the office during the chase, Stanford pulled his gun and shot three rounds toward the vehicle.
The indictment said Stanford's shots struck the front wall of an apartment, where the bullet stopped into a living wall. When the bullet hit the apartment, the indictment said a mom and her three children were inside. It stated there was no immediate threat to Stanford when he discharged his weapon.
He will make an appearance in DeKalb County General Sessions Court on Jan. 7. Since Stanford showed up at the scene and fired his weapon, he is now a witness and cannot prosecute the triple murder in his own county.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at emily.west@newschannel5.com.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
