Lawrence County, TN Sheriff's Office

On 10-16-24 at approximately 9:30 pm Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputies stopped a vehicle on Waterloo Rd in Lawrence County. One of the occupants, Jose Antonio Lopez Jr, who currently has multiple warrants for his arrest, was observed in the vehicle.

Shortly after coming to a stop, Lopez takes control of the vehicle and hits Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Klein knocking him to the ground in an adjacent ditch. Deputy Klein, immediately before being struck by the vehicle, fired a single shot through the front windshield at Lopez.

Lopez continued in the vehicle approximately ¼ miles down Waterloo Rd before fleeing on foot. Evidence from the vehicle indicated that Lopez was possibly struck from the round that Deputy Klein fired from his service pistol. Lopez’s girlfriend, who was also in the vehicle, was detained and later released. Ground teams, multiple drones, tracking dogs and a helicopter was dispatched to the area to search for Lopez. Deputy Klein was flown to a medical center in Nashville where he is currently listed in stable condition.

On 10-17-24 at approximately 11:00 am we received a call that a person matching Lopez’s description was seen in the area of Adams Rd in Lawrence County. Sheriff’s Deputies quickly surrounded the area and a short time later Lopez was found hiding in a nearby barn. Lopez was arrested and then transported to Southern Tennessee Regional Hospital where he is currently being treated for a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Once released from the hospital, Lopez will be booked into the Lawrence County Jail on multiple felony charges. The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all the first responders that came out and assisted with capture of Jose Antonio Lopez Jr.