Four Henderson County Sheriff’s deputies have been cleared in the shooting of an armed suspect in August 2022.
The district attorney for Henderson County, Andrew Murray, said he cleared the officers after a careful review of the evidence, including the deputy’s body cam footage and interviews with witnesses and immediate responders.
The incident took place on Aug. 29, 2022, when officers were called to a domestic disturbance at a mobile home on Howard Gap Road.
Once on the scene, they were confronted by 39-year-old Jeromy Rand Swaringen and his girlfriend. The official report states that Swaringen followed his girlfriend out of the trailer, brandishing a loaded shotgun.
According to the district attorney, Swaringen refused to drop his weapon and pointed at the officers while shouting profanities. Deputies then opened fire, shooting the suspect in the arm.
“They (deputies) weren’t doing everything they could to talk him down from raising that shotgun and pointing it in their direction and unfortunately he made the wrong choice,” Murray said.
Swaringen was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The D.A. cleared the four deputies after concluding the deputies had only fired their weapons after determining that Swaringen was a lethal threat to their lives and fellow deputies.
Swaringen was charged with numerous counts of felony assault on an officer. His next court appearance is set for May 4.
STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOS4 Henderson County deputies cleared in August 2022 shooting of armed suspect | WLOS
