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Suspect Takes Life As Lawmen Approach

Posted

McLEMORESVILLE — A 32-year-old Huntingdon man took his own life after law enforcement agents established a perimeter around the wooded area in which he was hiding on June 21.
Billy Andrews Smothers used a handgun to end his life as Carroll County deputies approached on foot and Sergeant Lee Russell observed from the THP helicopter overhead.
Sheriff Andy Dickson said the incident occurred as Deputy Dennis Adkins was patrolling - traveling from McLemoresville to Huntingdon - when his ride-along dispatcher noticed a pickup truck turn into a long residential driveway. The dispatcher recalled performing a query on the license plate recently. Adkins again requested a check of the license, which was confirmed stolen.
Adkins drove up the driveway and the stolen truck was not at the residence. Deputies Adkins, Mike Taylor, and Tim Meggs saw tire tracks in the grass that led to a wooded area, where they located the abandoned vehicle. Deputies established a perimeter. As Meggs walked toward the woods, he saw Smothers. Meggs then heard a gunshot, but was uncertain if Smothers had shot himself or was shooting at deputies. When deputies found Smothers, he had shot himself. Sheriff Dickson said deputies rendered first aid and summoned an ambulance, which arrived in 13 minutes. Smothers was packaged for transportation to McLemoresville, where Vanderbilt LifeFlight transported him to Vanderbilt. Smothers’ obituary indicates he died at Vanderbilt Hospital.
Sheriff Dickson said he requested a directive from the district attorney’s office concerning how to investigate. The TBI was contacted.
He had been released from federal prison March 18 and had an outstanding charge of violation of parole.

Smothers was the “person of interest” in multi-county crimes. After his death, investigators discovered stolen vehicles, livestock trailers, tools, and a Polaris Ranger stolen in Carroll, Henry, Weakley, and Henderson counties.
The U.S. Marshal’s Office had received a tip of a shop in Lexington on Natchez Trace Road that was connected to Smothers. The owner of the building indicated he rented it to a mechanic, identified as Smothers. There is where authorities found the truck and tools belonging to Don Bush on State Route 70 near the 1000-Acre Lake, a stolen dually truck stolen from Tom Taylor Chevrolet in Martin, a livestock trailer belonging to Randall Wood of McLemoresville and one from Henry County, a Polaris Ranger stolen from Clay Dillahunty. A recent high-speed pursuit in Benton County resulted in the finding of a vehicle stolen from Henry County that was hidden in the woods.
Sheriff Dickson said all the thefts probably occurred since Smothers was released on bond in Carroll County.
Smothers was arrested in May, 2019 after a high-speed chase which netted the convicted felon additional charges of felony evading arrest and reckless driving, possession of Schedule 2, 4, and 6 illicit drugs with the intent to sell. A county deputy was hospitalized following the chase. During that May incident, Smothers was driving a black Nissan when Carroll County Deputy Eaton Parham alerted on the Nissan. A check of the registration indicated the tags were registered to a white Jeep. Deputy Parham attempted to stop the vehicle, which fled on Moody Street, Noles Road, and Lexington Street in Huntingdon. When the vehicle approached the Highway 22 bypass near the Huntingdon Industrial Park South, it continued across the roadway and into the gravel access road at the Huntingdon industrial spec building. Deputy Parham implemented the pit maneuver to end the chase. As a result, both Smothers’ and Parham’s vehicle came to rest in a ditch.
Smothers fled the scene on foot and Deputy Kenny Tucker was able to apprehend him. Sgt. Eric Parham was at the scene along with officers from Huntingdon Police Department.
Parham was transported to Baptist Hospital Carroll County and later to Jackson. Sheriff Dickson said Parham was off work for a period of time because of the injuries.

Fatal, Suicide, 2019