Blount County Deputy Shooting Case Headed For Grand Jury

Kenneth Dehart, the man who shot two deputies in Blount County nearly two weeks ago, one of them fatally, was in a Blount County courtroom this morning. Dehart was there for a preliminary hearing. During that hearing, the public defender asked the court to allow Dehart’s family more time to retain counsel, a request the prosecution objected to. The prosecutor noted that it had been 12 days since the shooting and Dehart had plenty of time in those 12 days for he or his family to find him an attorney. The court sided with the prosecution and denied the request for more time.

The first witness the prosecution called was Deputy Shelby Eggars who made the original traffic stop on Dehart on Hwy 411 in Blount County the evening of February 8. She testified that after she was shot and went to the ground, she was sure she would die as she believed Dehart would shoot her again. There were several instances between the prosecution and defense regarding premeditation on the part of Dehart. Eventually the judge ruled that the charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and possession of a weapon by a felon, would stand. The judge then ruled that the case be bound over to the Blount County Grand Jury.