A sheriff’s deputy in Wayne County is recovering after being shot in the chest while serving papers Monday afternoon. Cody Neal was airlifted to the University of Tennessee Hospital with what were described as non-life-threatening injuries. Jerry Wagner is the executive director of the Kentucky Sheriffs Association and a former longtime sheriff. He said paper-serving can be the most dangerous work for sheriffs’ personnel.
“When I say papers, it could be civil processes, it could be domestic violence orders, it could be just doing a welfare check, whatever the case may be, it is it is unbelievably dangerous. And in most cases, speaking for sheriffs and sheriff's deputies, we’re alone.”
According to the Kentucky Association of Counties, since 2021, there have been at least two other incidents in which deputies were killed or injured while serving warrants.
“Because most of those papers, either people are not expecting you to be at your door, or they are expecting you and they don't like the reason you're there.”
In Floyd County in June of 2022, three officers and a K-9 were killed in a shootout after deputies tried to serve an emergency protective order and arrest a man for assault.
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