Crime
Third Person Arrested in Lake County Quadruple Homicide Investigation, Dearrah Sanders Charged as Accessory
JACKSON, Tenn. — A large-scale manhunt is underway in Jackson as law enforcement agencies search for Austin Drummond, the suspect wanted in connection with a quadruple homicide in Tiptonville, Tennessee.
Authorities have surrounded a heavily wooded area near Cherry Grove Apartments and are also searching wooded terrain near Union University off Pleasant Plains Road.
The search has prompted a significant law enforcement presence in north Jackson, including personnel from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Tennessee Highway Patrol, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson Police Department, and SWAT units.
As of Monday morning, TBI Special Agents confirmed the arrest of a third individual in connection with the ongoing fugitive investigation.
Dearrah Sanders, a resident of Jackson, has been charged with Accessory After the Fact to First Degree Murder for allegedly assisting Drummond after the killings.
Sanders is expected to be booked into the Lake County Jail.
In addition to Sanders, 29-year-old Tanaka Brown and 29-year-old Giovonti Thomas have also been charged with Accessory After the Fact to First Degree Murder.
Brown is facing an additional charge of Tampering with Evidence.
The manhunt has impacted traffic and prompted safety measures in the surrounding area.
Just after 11:00 a.m., the Jackson Police Department issued a traffic advisory stating that Pleasant Plains Road is temporarily closed from Oil Well Road to Country Club Lane, and drivers were urged to seek alternate routes.
Witnesses reported seeing helicopters circling overhead, and several area schools—including Jackson Christian School and Union University—briefly entered lockdown as a precaution.
When contacted for additional information, Jackson Police referred inquiries to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The TBI confirmed that the law enforcement activity is part of an ongoing investigation, but declined to release further details at this time.
Authorities continue to urge residents to avoid the affected areas and report any suspicious activity. The manhunt remains active.
Crime
Attorneys Argue Jacob Bard Actions in Deadly Kentucky State University Shooting Were Legally Justified
Attorneys representing Jacob Bard, the man accused in a deadly shooting at Kentucky State University, contend that his actions were legally justified and undertaken in defense of his family amid what they describe as a violent and uncontrolled situation on campus.
In a press release issued Monday afternoon, Bard’s legal team from the Indiana-based law firm Danks & Danks asserted that Bard “was completely justified under the law in his use of deadly force.”
Bard is accused of fatally shooting one Kentucky State University student and wounding another during an incident at a campus dormitory.
According to the attorneys’ statement, Bard traveled to Kentucky State University after his younger son reported being attacked on multiple occasions.
The release alleges that on Monday, December 8, a group of approximately 20 to 30 individuals gathered outside the son’s dormitory, some allegedly armed, and began beating on the door. Campus police were reportedly called to respond to the disturbance.
The following morning, Bard and his wife met with Kentucky State University police. While the attorneys stated that officers appeared sincere in their efforts, they claimed it was evident to the family that campus police were “ill-prepared to deal with the out-of-control and violent environment.”
The legal team further alleges that both the university and its police department failed to adequately address what they described as multiple armed and violent felonies against Bard’s sons, ages 18 and 19, as well as other students in the days preceding the shooting.
Those alleged incidents included burglaries and armed assaults.
Later that morning, the family attended a meeting at Young Hall with campus police and a university dean.
According to the release, the meeting left the family convinced that the university would not be able to maintain a safe environment, prompting them to begin removing the son’s belongings from the dormitory.
When the family returned to the residence hall, the attorneys claim that individuals previously involved in the alleged assaults were present, despite assurances they would not be allowed inside.
The statement further alleges that those individuals photographed the family and made verbal threats.
The attorneys contend that, even with two armed Kentucky State University police officers present, a group of 20 to 30 individuals gathered in the dormitory lobby and “violently and viciously attacked” Bard’s son and family members.
According to the release, Bard’s son was slammed into the concrete floor and beaten by multiple people, and the officer on scene allegedly lost control of the situation.
“In the chaos,” the attorneys wrote, Bard attempted to pull attackers off his son but was struck himself. Believing his son to be in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, Bard then drew his firearm and shot two individuals whom the attorneys say were actively assaulting his son.
The legal team also stated that no charges have been filed against others allegedly involved in the confrontation and claimed the Bard family has continued to receive death threats.
The release further alleges that the mother of the deceased student has publicly called for retaliation against Bard’s son and sought assistance from criminal groups—claims that have not been independently verified by authorities.
The case against Bard was presented to a grand jury on December 16.
During a previous court hearing, a detective testified that at least one video reviewed by investigators did not show the shooting victims assaulting Bard’s son.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not issued a final determination regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting.