Background: Footage from “On Patrol: Live’ featuring the moment after Deputy Dalton Swanger was allegedly assaulted (Peacock via WBIR). Inset: Deputy Dalton Swanger (Knox County Sheriff’s Office).
A Tennessee sheriff’s deputy who was being documented as part of a live broadcast was allegedly assaulted by the man authorities were seeking.
Knox County Sheriff’s Deputy Dalton Swanger, whose age was not made available, was part of the Saturday broadcast of “On Patrol: Live,” which is co-hosted by Law&Crime founder Dan Abrams. During the live broadcast, Swanger and his fellow deputies responded to calls of a shooting in a neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee. Deputies announced themselves after believing they found the suspect, 44-year-old Christopher Hensley, in a wooded area nearby. Hensley, who then started throwing rocks at the deputies, can be heard cursing at them in the background.
While cameras rolled, Swanger entered the wooded area and soon fell to the ground.
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According to a Facebook post from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Swanger was struck by Hensley with a rock or brick. Deputy Matthew Kirchner was also hit in the arm. While “On Patrol: Live” cameras captured the aftermath of the incident, Swanger can be seen being dragged out of the woods by his colleagues, then being helped to his feet.
Police said that Swanger’s condition deteriorated after the cameras were turned off and he was unresponsive when he was taken to the hospital, where he was said to be in critical condition. In an update posted on Monday, the sheriff’s office said Swanger was still in intensive care, but “moved all his limbs.” On Tuesday, he was still making “minor yet significant improvements.”
A GoFundMe page was set up by Blue Line Tennessee to help cover the financial burden felt by other members of his family while they stay by his side during his recovery.
Tom Rizzo, another “On Patrol: Live” co-host, posted a statement on Facebook in support of Swanger, and described what happened when the cameras were off, saying, “The entire studio went silent as we watched what happened next. His mates dragging him to safety to render aid… as Dalton tried to regain his feet, says, ‘I’m going to be heavy.’ F— that, we got you, Dalton.”
Hensley was arrested hours after the “On Patrol: Live” broadcast ended. He was charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault on a first responder, possession of a firearm with intent to go armed, and manufacturing/delivering/selling/possession of a controlled substance. He appeared in court on Tuesday, when his bond was set at $2,025,000.
Hensley’s next court date is scheduled for Aug. 20.
