Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Bond Lowered For Two Charged In TWRA Officer Shooting Case
Bond for two of three suspects held in connection with burglaries in the Amish community and the shooting of a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officer last week, has been reduced.
Evidence against the three suspects, Joe Howard Swafford, 50, Patrick Swafford, 20, and James Swafford, age 24, was presented Tuesday afternoon during a preliminary hearing in Lawrence County General Sessions Court. After hearing testimony Judge Patricia McGuire bound the case over for consideration by the Lawrence County Grand Jury.
The trio was arrested December 29 after allegedly shooting TWRA Officer Jeff Hummel, stealing his truck, crashing it, then leading authorities on a foot chase through a wooded area.
Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department had been in the Henryville area at the time of the shooting conducting investigations into a string of burglaries.
After assisting in the chase and apprehension of his attackers, Hummel was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville where he received treatment for his wounds and was later released.
The Swaffords were transported to the Lawrence County Jail where they were booked under four counts each of burglary. James Swafford was additionally charged with one count of attempted first degree murder.
The Swaffords have since been incarcerated through Lawrence County Jail in lieu of a $500,000 bond apiece. Bond for father Joe Howard and son Patrick were reduced to $100,000 apiece during Tuesday’s proceedings. Tuesday evening all three remained jailed.
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