Page 3 - Tabitha Smith News Today

While the deputy's death is tragic, all evidence indicates that the woman handcuffed in his back seat died as a result of his negligence.

Robert John "RJ" Leonard, Jr., 35, died when his car plunged into the Tennessee River last week.

Mother Tabitha Smith and rookie deputy Robert Leonard drowned after he accidentally drove into a lake late at night, authorities said. It was the deputy's first arrest and he had been texting his wife before the crash, the district attorney said.

Authorities said Robert "R.J." Leonard, a Meigs County Sheriff's Office deputy, had just started the job in December and still did not know the county's landscape.

While the deputy's death is tragic, all evidence indicates that the woman handcuffed in his back seat died as a result of his negligence.

Funeral arrangements have been announced for fallen Meigs County Deputy Robert "RJ" Leonard.

Tabitha Smith, 35, was found handcuffed in the back of a patrol car after Deputy Robert “RJ” Leonard accidentally drove into the Tennessee River on Wednesday evening

The Police Benevolent Foundation is asking for the public's assistance in supporting the family of a Meigs County deputy who recently ...

Community members will be honoring a deputy who went missing while on duty in Meigs County. Deputy Robert "R.J." Leonard died on Thursday.

The Tennessee woman discovered dead in the backseat of a submerged police patrol has been identified as 35-year-old mother of two Tabitha Smith.